Romantic Comedies : Part 2
by ap gato
Summary: Sequel to Romatic Comedies: It was just a game. Tai and Sora are still together and getting ready for prom. They seem like the perfect couple, but can their relationship survive the new challenges? Taiora. CHAPTER 9 FINISHED!
1. Almost time for Prom

Gato: Guess who finally decided to get her lazy butt in gear and write the promised sequel?  
  
Irie: Oh, let me guess! Umm...the princess of Spain!  
  
Gato: No...that would be me.  
  
Irie: That was my next guess.  
  
Gato: Oh, and in case you guys couldn't guess, I changed my screen name. Now, on with the sequel.  
  
Irie: Gato owns only the plot.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Prom. According to the dictionary, prom is a formal dance held for a high- school or college class typically at or near the end of the academic year. The dictionary lies. Prom is the most stressful and expensive event since the invention of marriage. If it wasn't my senior year, I wouldn't go. Scratch that, if Mimi wouldn't beat me to death, revive me, and drag me to prom, I wouldn't go. I take a bite of my sandwich and turn my attention back to Mimi as she talks dresses at me. She started talking about dresses at the beginning of lunch which was, oh, forty-five minutes ago... "And that, Sora, is why we must go shopping tonight."  
  
"What, why tonight?"  
  
See, this is why I must pay attention to Mimi's ramblings. I have a date with Tai tonight. Come to think of it, Mimi has a date with Joe tonight. We have a double date for the movies, guess she forgot.  
  
"What about our double date? I sincerely doubt our boyfriends will understand being ditched for a mall." I remind her. Mimi shrugs.  
  
"They want us to look good for the prom, don't they? They'll have to make some sacrifices. Anyway, we can't go tomorrow because I have a hair appointment. I'm finally allowed to dye my hair black. So, we have to hit the mall tonight."  
  
I sigh, but I have to agree. Prom is next Friday and I don't have a dress, shoes, a purse, limo arrangements, make-up or hair appointment. I have a lot of work to do. Thankfully, I do have a date, and he's been set as my date since September. I still can't believe that Tai and I have been together since September. That's one, five, SEVEN! SEVEN MONTHS!! Wow. Hey, that means Mimi and Joe have been together that long too. It's really funny that we got together on the same day. September 22 nd...hey, wait a second.  
  
"Mimi." "Yeah?"  
  
"Prom is the 22 nd, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes it is, why...oh!"  
  
"Yeah, it's our eight month anniversary."  
  
"Oh cool!" Mimi squeals. "They'd better think of something romantic."  
  
"Who needs to think of something romantic?" Tai asks as he sits beside me. Joe takes the seat beside Mimi and shyly puts an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you." Mimi quips childishly and rests her head on Joe's shoulder. Tai reaches for one of my French fires and I slap his hand away.  
  
"We're going to have to cancel the date tonight." I say. Tai stares.  
  
"What? Why?" He asks, his chocolate-kissed eyes pleading.  
  
"We have to buy prom dresses." I answer and hand him a fry.  
  
"You're leaving us for the mall?" Joe asks lightly. "Wow, I feel so betrayed." Mimi punches him lightly in the shoulder. "Very funny Joe. You want us to look our best, don't you?"  
  
"Come on Sor..." Tai implores.  
  
"Sorry Tai." I respond. "We've left things late enough as it is."  
  
Tai sighs lightly and picks up my books. "Come on, I'll walk you to class."  
  
~*~  
  
I steadily place my textbooks in my backpack. According to Mimi's plan, we have fifteen minutes to pack our bags, make it to my house, change and get to the mall. At times, I think Mimi needs a reality check.  
  
"Are you ready yet, Sora?" Mimi appears behind me, tapping her foot impatiently. How did she manage to pack so quickly? She approaches me...and is pushed away by a tall, blonde girl.  
  
"Watch it, ditz!" Andrea snaps as she struts down the hall. Yep, Andrea is still at school, joy of joys. Matt's still here, in case you were wondering. Oh well, there's nothing they can to that Mimi and I can't deal with. Mimi collects herself and scowls at Andrea's back. "Stupid slut." She turns her attention to me. "SORA!! Let's go!"  
  
~*~  
  
We are walking through the mall, hunting for prom dresses. And yes, I can use the term 'hunting' because the way Mimi shops you'd think we were in search of a rare and elusive animal. I mean, in the last store she practically reduced the store clerk to tears by...  
  
"This store!" Mimi grabs my arm and pulls me into yet another dress shop.  
  
"A little warning would be appreciated." I mutter.  
  
"Sorry." She grins and begins to move through the rack of dresses. I sigh and turn to the dresses. Too poofy, too skanky, too shiny, too...what the heck...is that a tutu? Moving on. Why is this so incredibly difficult? I just want something simple, elegant...something like that! Oooh, its pretty. It's a halter dress, backless, long...I like it! I pull the dress off the rack and look for Mimi. I find her practically drooling over a dress. I have to admit, it's a nice dress. It's cranberry red and it looks just like the dress Kate Hudson wore in the 'How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days' movie.  
  
"I found my dress Meems." I announce. She starts and spins around.  
  
"Look at the dress, isn't it gorgeous?" she asks while pointing at the red dress.  
  
"Yep. Now grab it so we can try these things on."  
  
~*~  
  
Thank goodness, it fits! And, it actually looks alright. I think I found my dress.  
  
"Sora, get out here so I can see your dress!" Mimi calls through the change room door. I exit and study Mimi's dress while she does the same to me. The dress looks amazing on her and once she dyes her hair darker, it'll look even better. Mimi squeals and claps. "Sora! That dress looks amazing! Oh, you have to buy it!"  
  
"I think I will. Are you getting that dress? It looks wonderful." Mimi nods happily and skips back into her cubicle to get changed. I re-enter my change stall and carefully remove the dress. Now I just need shoes, a purse, hair, make-up...oh man.  
  
~*~  
  
Three hours later, we leave the mall. If you thought buying a dress is an ordeal, you've never gone shoe and accessory shopping with Mimi. My suggestion: if you value your sanity NEVER go shopping with Mimi. After the fifth shoe store and twentieth pair of shoes that 'didn't DO anything' for her, I wanted to strangle Mimi. I mean, I managed to find a pair of silver sandals in the first store. Mimi finally found a pair of shoes that she liked in the seventh store. Luckily, accessory shopping wasn't too bad. I just picked up a pair of simple, silver earrings that hang to about my jaw line. I also got a thick sliver bracelet inlaid with diamonds. Mimi got a gorgeous jewelry set that matches her dress perfectly. She also managed to find purses for both of us. I never thought that shopping could be so incredibly exhausting.  
  
We get to my house and I shove all my shopping bags into my room. Mimi sinks onto my couch and I collapse onto the floor.  
  
"Never, ever again." I murmur.  
  
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad, was it?" Mimi asks while yawning. I glare at her from the floor. She stares back then asks the question I've been trying to avoid. "Sora, where do you want to go to university?"  
  
I sigh. It's true that I should be thinking about this, I mean, we sent in our applications months ago and I have been accepted to one of the best universities here, but I still don't know what I want. Why don't I know? The thing is, I also sent in some overseas applications to school in Britain, the US and Canada. If I get into an overseas university, I think I'll go there, but that means leaving Mimi and Joe...and Tai.  
  
"I'm not sure yet." I reply truthfully.  
  
"Oh." Mimi frowns slightly. So far, she's in the same universities as me, but she hasn't decided either. I sigh again and flip onto my stomach.  
  
"Hey Mimi, would you turn down your first choice university if it meant you could stay with Joe?" Mimi thinks for a minute, then shrugs. "I've got no clue."  
  
Well, that was tons of help. Making university choices is going to be the most difficult decision ever. Wow, and I thought prom was stressful.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Gato: Alright boys and girls...well, mainly girls I assume, here is the first chapter to this wondrous sequel. I have an idea all planned out in my head, so we'll see if Irie will do her job as my muse and help me get this idea on paper.  
  
Irie: Fat chance.  
  
Gato: Thanks. Oh, Andrea and Matt will NOT be playing a large role in this story. I have another challenge in mind for Tai and Sora.  
  
Irie: You're a mean person.  
  
Gato: So are you. Anyhow, please review and tell me what you think of it so far. Thanks. 


	2. Acceptances

Gato: And I'm back again. I was banned from updating...again...but I'm finally back.  
  
Irie: You have to stop breaking the rules.  
  
Gato: No, has to stop deleting my stories.  
  
Irie: Fair enough.  
  
Gato: Do the disclaimer please.  
  
Irie: She owns none of the characters that appear in Digimon.  
  
...................................................  
  
Day of the week: Wednesday.  
  
Days until prom: nine.  
  
Number of phone calls made: somewhere between fifteen and twenty.  
  
Number of appointments and arrangements made by phone: four.  
  
Amount of money spent thus far: ...I don't even want to think about that...  
  
Okay, so Mimi and I bought our dresses on Monday and she dyed her hair on Tuesday. Today is Wednesday and it is five in the morning. Yes, that's right, FIVE in the MORNING. Why am I awake so early, you ask. Well between the mall, making appointments and actually attending school I have had no time to do my homework. So I have to try and finish a chapter in Tess of the D'Urbervilles, fifteen Calculus questions and a history essay in...three hours. I think I can do this.  
  
I have an hour and a half left and I'm still reading the stupid book. I need to stop procrastinating. Well, at least I cleaned my room. Okay, no more wasting time, I will finish the chapter.  
  
Half an hour remains...and I finished the chapter. That's all I finished. It took me three hours to read thirty pages, but my bathroom is perfectly organized. I'm so tired. I think I'll just shut my eyes for a minute...  
  
... ... ...  
  
"Sora? Sora!"  
  
Hmmm...? What's that sound? And who is shaking me?  
  
"Sora, get up! You have to me in school in three minutes!"  
  
"Oh shit!" I jump up and shove my unfinished work into my bag.  
  
"Don't swear, Sora!" my mom reprimands automatically.  
  
"Sorry, sorry!" I mutter as I run from the house. Shit, shit, shit. I'm going to be so late...  
  
.........  
  
"You're late, Miss Takenouchi."  
  
Why don't they tell me something I don't know? I sigh and face Ms. Johnson. "I'm very sorry, it won't happen again."  
  
"I certainly hope not. Take a seat Miss Takenouchi."  
  
I slide into my chair and glare at the teacher's back. Every other teacher has lightened the work load because of prom. Every other teacher understands the complete insanity that is prom. And then, there is Ms. Johnson. If anything, she became worse ever since the prom was announced. Well at least I finished my Calculus questi...oh no. I was busy cleaning my bathroom when I should have been doing Calc. Shit. Well, maybe she won't call on me.  
  
"Miss Takenouchi."  
  
Never mind. "Yes, Ms Johnson?"  
  
"Could you please come to the board and write out the solution for question three from the homework."  
  
She knows I didn't do the work. Oh, I hate this woman.  
  
"Of course," I reply smoothly and glance at Mimi. Mimi smirks and hands me her sheet while the teacher's back is turned. I can recognize Joe's handwriting in vain attempts to explain the work to Mimi. Well, at least I have and answer. I can't help smiling smugly as I pass Ms Johnson. I have to remember to thank Joe for saving my butt.  
  
.........  
  
"I have to thank you Joe. You saved my butt in Calc today." I announce as soon as the boys sit down.  
  
"How did I save your butt?" Joe asks while slipping and arm around Mimi's waist.  
  
"By 'helping' Mimi with her homework."  
  
"Hey!" Mimi cries indignantly, "I did most of that work myself!"  
  
"If by yourself you mean following Joe's instructions." I shoot back. Mimi sticks her tongue out at me and leans against Joe.  
  
"Forget your homework again, Sor? Honestly, I thought you were more organized than that."  
  
"Hey! I started to work...but then I got distracted."  
  
"Really, Sora," Tai grins, "you need to focus more on your schoolwork if you want your marks to stay where they are."  
  
"Which one of us is in the best university in Japan?" I demand impulsively then bite my lip. Oh crap, I really didn't mean to say that. University is still such a delicate subject for the four of us. I can feel Tai's eyes burning into me.  
  
"Tai, you haven't even mentioned my hair," Mimi says smoothly. At times, her social skills are so good it's scary.  
  
"It's very...black." Tai answers, already distracted from my university slip.  
  
"I love it." Joe says while playing with Mimi's raven coloured locks.  
  
"Maybe I should die my hair," I quip.  
  
"And deny me the privilege of calling you 'carrot-top'? No way!" Tai returns. Okay, now I know that he has forgotten about it...for now.  
  
.........  
  
I arrive at home and while trying to open the door, trip over the door stop. I basically fall into the house and land on my hands and knees. "For the love of..." I trail off as I see a large package bearing the Queens logo. Queens, one of the most prestigious universities in Canada, has sent me an acceptance sized packaged. Wow.  
  
I slowly pick up the envelope and make my way to the kitchen. I rip open the top and sure enough the word 'Congratulations' is the first thing I see. Wonderful, even more decisions to make. I pick up the phone and dial Mimi's phone number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"I'm in Queens."  
  
Silence on the other line for a second, then, "That's great Sora!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Of course! That's a great university and a difficult one to get into! Congrats!"  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
"You don't sound too happy about it."  
  
"I know it's a good university and all but if I go...."  
  
"Do you want to go there?" Mimi interrupts my predictable comment with a very good question.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, you have to do what's best for you. Don't forget to follow your heart."  
  
"What if I don't know what's best for me?"  
  
"You will. Just do what feels right. You still have time to decide, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah...I don't have to decide overseas universities until a week after prom."  
  
"And we still have tons of time for local universities so don't worry about it just yet."  
  
"Thanks Meems."  
  
"That's what I'm here for. Don't forget to call and confirm the limo arrangements. Oh, and you need to give to flower place your credit card number. We'll pick up the boutonnières Thursday night."  
  
"Right."  
  
"They'd better get us some corsages. It is our anniversary, after all."  
  
"I don't need the reminder."  
  
"Right, sorry. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Sora."  
  
"Thanks, Mimi."  
  
Well, I sort of feel better. Do what's right for me, huh. Well hopefully something will happen to show me what's right for me. For the time being, I have even more phone calls to make.  
  
........................................................................  
  
Gato: Yahoo, another chappie up and running.  
  
Irie: STOP THE CLICHEES!  
  
Gato: Oh, whatever. Anyway, I can relate very VERY well to this university anxiety as I just went through it.  
  
Irie: No freaking kidding.  
  
Gato: I will do my best to have another chapter up soon. Now it's time for...  
  
Irie: REVIWER RESPONSE!!  
  
TO Noriko Fujita: Of course I remember you! Honestly. Well, I'm glad you like my sense of humor. I hope you're enjoying the sequel thus far and thanks for reviewing.  
  
TO kawaii-Q: Yep, I finally wrote the sequel. Took me long enough, huh? Well, thanks so much for the review!  
  
TO HuntressDiana: I'm glad you're enjoying the story and that you liked that line. I apologize for the gap between updates but, as you know, I procrastinate. Thank you very much for the review. It was appreciated.  
  
TO Linkolas: First off, I love your screen name. Second, I apologize for my 'mostly girls' comment. I don't think I've had too many boys review my stories before and that is why the comment slipped out. Well, I'd like to thank you for your review and I'm very glad that you are enjoying the story.  
  
Gato: Well, thanks for reading and PLEASE take the extra step and review.  
  
Irie: Yes, review...or else. 


	3. I love him

gato: Okay, yes, it has been longer than an age, but I've been busy. Really, really busy.

Irie: It's true, she has. But that's not an excuse.

Gato: Silence, you. I don't know what the quality of this chapter will be like as I am tired and sick.

Irie: Whine, whine, whine. Just start the chapter!!

Gato: Disclaimer...

Irie: She will only own Digimon if she can go for a day without drinking Coke and Vodka...

Gato: HEY!!

Irie: hehe, she owns nothing related in any way to the show Digimon: Digital Monster.

.........................................................

I.am.going.crazy. I don't care what anyone says, prom is insane. If you've already gone to your prom, then you know what I'm talking about. It's not like the proms that you see on TV and in movies. It's not all glitter, love and beautiful dresses. It's expensive and worthy of a nervous break-down. Not to mention I still have to do homework, decide on a university AND buy Tai an anniversary gift. Well, at least the latter with be fun.

Today is Sunday, and I am at the mall. Five days until prom and I am seriously considering booking an appointment to get my wisdom teeth removed some time in the next couple of days so that I can get away from the hell that is prom. I mean, getting your wisdom teeth out can't be any worse than this. If I didn't already have a dress and a zillion appointments that I can't cancel, I would book the wisdom teeth surgery.

Mimi promised to meet me at the mall. She said she would be here at 2:00. It is now 2:30 and there is still no sign of Mimi. Terribly typical of my dear friend. I continue to wait and sip my newly purchased tea. What should I buy for Tai? Hmmm.....

"Hey Sora!"

I jump and nearly spill the tea all over my shirt. I whip around to find Mimi behind me, already clutching a shopping bag. "Mimi, what did you buy? And how did you have money to buy it?"

"It's the cutest purse ever, Sora! You have to see it."

"That's...okay. Oh, way to be on time."

"Oh, shut up. You know I'm always late."

"That's true. Okay, so, any ideas on what we're going to buy..."

"I saw that West Nine is having a sale! There are these gorgeous pink..."

"For the BOYS Mimi. We have to buy something for the boys."

"I know, but a quick look won't hurt."

"No. I have been shoe shopping with you before, and it's not something I'm eager to repeat."

"But..."

"NO!"

"Oh fine. Can we at least walk by the store? We don't have to go in...I just want to see the shoes..."

.........

I found the perfect gift for Tai. Ha! I'm a genius. I remember him saying that he really wanted a Swiss Army Knife, but he could never afford one. Well, I can't really afford it either, but if I dip into my savings, I can buy it for him.

"The silver or the red, Mimi?" I ask as I point at the two different knives. Mimi shifts her five...yes, five shopping bags and glances at the knives critically.

"The silver one," she responds finally. I nod and take the knife over to the cashier. I wince slightly at the price and swipe my debit card. It's all in the name of love...

"Now, I have to find something for Joe." Mimi quips as soon as we leave the store.

"How did you manage to buy five things for yourself already? We've only been here an hour, Mimi."

"It's a talent." Mimi laughs and begins to veer into yet another shoe store. I grab her arm and pull her away from the store.

"Mimi, you have to buy something for Joe now. Prom and our anniversary are both in six days and I doubt you'll have much time to be shopping during the week."

"There's always time to shop, Sora."

"Mimi..."

"Okay, okay!" Mimi concedes and walks off in the direction of the book store. I sigh and follow.

.........

Okay, so Mimi is a really good girlfriend. Even though a lot of Joe's scientific jargon and talk about books bores her to death, she still managed to listen selectively and find him the perfect present. Apparently, one day at lunch, Joe was talking about some medical reference book that had just come out. He couldn't afford it because it was a huge book, hardcover, with lots of glossy illustrations. Mimi managed to hear him talking about his book and found it at the book store. I never knew that books could cost so much money. Mimi didn't even blink as the cashier rung up the price of the book. She handed over the cash and received the perfect gift for her boyfriend. Well done, Mimi.

It's five o'clock and we arrive at my house. Mimi is toting a total of seven bags. I have two. I gave into temptation and bought a poster. But, it's a poster of Orlando Bloom, so I think my purchase is justified.

I sink onto the couch and take Tai's gift out of the bag. I grin, "I really hope Tai likes this."

"Of course he's going to like it, Sora," Mimi murmurs as she dumps her bags onto my couch. "He specifically told you that he wanted it."

"I'm tempted to get it engraved..." I play with the sleek object while I consider this possibility.

"That would be so cute!" Mimi gushes, "What would you say on it?"

"I don't want it to be something really cliché and basic, but I can't think of anything."

"Do you guys have a song, or something?"

"No, we..." I trail off as I remember the dance at the beginning of the year. I grin.

Mimi notices my glazed expression and laughs, "Well it looks like you may have an idea." She picks up her bags and purse, "I should get going. Wonderful school tomorrow and all."

I snap out of my daydream, "Have you finished your homework?"

Mimi laughs, "Are you joking?"

"That's what I thought,"

"I'll do some of it tonight...if I feel like it."

"Mimi, you are the laziest person ever," I laugh.

"Yep, and I'm very proud of that title. See you tomorrow, Sora." She disappears into the gathering darkness. I think about what she said about Tai and I having a song. We do, but I'm not exactly sure how to make it work. I need to think about this some more.

...

Day of the week: Monday. Hours until Prom: 96

It took me most of the night, which I'm really ashamed to admit, but I finally decided what to engrave on Tai's knife. Now, I just have to find the time to go back to the mall. At this point, I'm seriously considering skipping class in order to make time. But, if I get caught, they might not let me go to prom, which wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, other than the fact that I spent too much money on this event to miss it. And, if they made me miss it and waste all of the money, I might kill them. I guess I'll just have to go to the mall after school. Looks like another late night attempting to get some homework done. GAH! I was up until four o'clock last night. Five o'clock the night before...by the time Prom finally gets here, I'll be dead.

...

I am currently sitting in English class, bored out of my mind. We're talking about a paragraph in _Tess of the D'Urbervilles _which apparently has great importance. It wouldn't be so bad if we hadn't talked about it for the past five classes. I finally finished the book, and in the end, Tess kills the guy that was an ass-hole. Maybe I should follow her lead and kill Matt, not that he's been too big of a pain lately. Just strutting around with his annoying 'I'm-so-much-cooler-than-all-of-you' attitude.

If we don't get off the topic of this chapter, I am going to leave. Well, not actually, because then I'd get in trouble. Maybe I'll just draw out the design for Tai's Swiss Army Knife. It's such a brilliant idea! Well, I think so anyway and I dare anyone to disagree. Ha, Mimi has fallen asleep beside me. She's been nodding for the past fifteen minutes. She'll be fine as long as the teacher doesn't...

"Mimi!"

Never mind...Mimi sits up quickly and fixes her gaze on the teacher, "Yes, ma'am?"

"Would you mind giving the class your opinion on what we were just talking about?"

"Yes ma'am. You were just discussing how Tess needed to make the decision between Alec and Angel. I think that her choosing Angel shows that she is not only thinking about her feelings."

The teacher gapes for a minute then turns to me. Shit, she noticed that I was drawing, "And Sora, you seemed intent on taking notes. Would you like to repeat to me what I said about Angel's relationship with Tess."

Trying to make me look bad, is she? I'll show her. I put my pen down and return her gaze, "Of course, ma'am. You were saying that Angel's attraction towards Tess begins lustfully and never really matures into something more. This is especially shown in the scene where Angel..."

"Yes, thank you, Sora." She turns back to the board. I smirk at Mimi who is snickering. Teachers should know by now that you can't mess with Mimi and me. It always ends badly for them.

...

Yes! I got the knife engraved perfectly. It's all wrapped up and ready for Tai on our anniversary. I'm so excited! I really hope he likes it! Wow, I sound like such a flake...

Okay, it is now...nine o'clock and I have to eat something before I pass out. Then, I have a fun-filled evening of homework ahead of me. Woo-hoo. Can't you just see the enthusiasm oozing out of me? I walk over to the fridge and see my Queens acceptance letter hanging on the fridge door. Oh, shit. Looks like mom found it. Stuck on the letter is a post-it note. I remove the note,

'I'm so proud of you, honey. I know I've been working a lot more lately, but that doesn't meat that I've stopped caring. You must be so excited to have gotten accepted to Queens! It was your first choice university and will give you the opportunity to travel abroad. But, I want you to remember that in the end, you are the one who will have to make the choice and live with it. I will support you no matter what you choose. Think about your heart and what will be best for you in the long run. I believe that you will make the right choice. Love, Mom.'

I read the note through a couple more times and sag against the fridge. Damn it. I had forgotten about university choices. I'm not really hungry anymore. I drag myself over to my room and collapse onto my bed.

Queens is a great school, and it was my first choice, but is it worth leaving Tai? And the local schools are okay, I guess. Should I give up Queens in order to stay here with Tai? I glance at my mom's letter again. 'Think about your heart...' My heart, huh? Well, I love Tai. Whoa. I. Love. Tai. And, even if it means giving up Queens, I'm going to stay with him.

The phone's ringing interrupts my thoughts. I pick it up lazily, "Hello?"

"Have you confirmed your hair appointment yet?"

"Hello, Mimi. Yes, I have."

"Okay," Mimi takes a deep breath, "I was doing my Calc and I suddenly started worrying about all this Prom related stuff..."

"Wait, you were actually doing homework?"

"Very funny," Mimi replies dryly, "I'll have you know that I am capable of doing homework."

"Yes, yes, I know. Oh, I got Tai's knife engraved."

"YAY!" Mimi squeals, "Is it the design that you showed me after English class?"

"Yeah."

"How did it turn out?"

"I think it came out pretty well."

"I'm so excited! Well, I'll see you tomorrow..."

"I've decided to stay here for university."

Mimi stays silent for a moment, "I'm so glad, Sora! It is what you really want?"

"Yes." I say with less enthusiasm than I thought I would have.

"As long as it's what you want..." Mimi's doubt it evident even over the phone.

"It is," I say, trying to convince both of us, "And I get to stay with you and Tai."

"Exactly!" Mimi cries. "Okay, I have to go hun. See you!"

I hang up the phone and glare at the ceiling. Why did Mimi have to make me doubt my decision? Now I'm not sure that I should stay. I need something to remind me why I should stay. The phone rings again, "Hello?"

"Hey, beautiful."

Well, that'll do it. I'm staying. Looks like I'm not getting any homework done tonight. "Hey, Tai."

...

Day of the week: Tuesday. Hours until Prom: 72

..........................................

gato: Finally.

Irie: No kidding. It certainly took you long enough. Geez...

Gato: No one asked you.

Irie: Well, too bad! Now, I must be off! I have an orange and blue cow to rescue from Dust Land.

Gato: I though he was in Lint Land.

Irie: No, that was the orange and blue SPOTTED cow. Honestly..._disappear_

Gato: Riiiiiight...so, time for reviewer response.

kawaii-Q: I didn't update ASAP and for that I apologize. I'm glad that you like the story, and now you can see what happens.

Noriko Fujita: No, you really weren't reviewing that late seeing as several people reviewed later than you. Thank-you for coming to to read my story. That is so sweet and it means so much to me. I write just for people like you!

Kirby-Anime, Manga, and Game Fan: Wow, your screen name is a mouthful. I take it you are a fan of many things. It's great to have some more boy readers, so thanks for taking the time to read and review.

Musashibf: I'm glad that you liked the previous story. I will do my best to make this one live up to its predecessor, and I hope it turns out well.

Gato: That's all for now, darlings. If you want to know more about when I will be updating this story, check my profile. There's a paragraph near the bottom that will explain everything. Please REVIEW!!


	4. Therapy

An annoying ringing sound jolts me out of my dreams. I groan and hit the snooze button on my alarm clock. I despise mornings. I flop back onto my bed, only to hit my wrist on something hard. "Oww!" I cry in surprise.

"What on earth…?" Tai's voice sounds muffled and tinny.

I pause and glance around my room. "Tai?" Stifled cursing echoes from an unknown source. I look down and notice my telephone. So _that's_ what I hit my hand with. I must have fallen asleep while talking to Tai. That means I didn't get any homework done, shit. I groan and put the phone to my ear. "Hey, Tai."

"Good morning, angel."

"Very cute." I smile idly. "Well, I have to get ready, honey. I'll see you at school."

"See you there."

I briefly debate confessing my love. "Bye," I say softly and hang up. If I'm going to confess, I might as well do so in person. I slowly make my way to the bathroom and splash cold water on my face. I'm falling so behind in school. I really need to focus on my work; that will be easier once Prom is finished.

"Good morning, Sora," my mother greets when I enter the kitchen. "You woke up on time today, I see."

"Yeah, I must have remembered to set my alarm last night." I cast my thought back to the pervious night, but can't remember touching my alarm clock.

"Or, maybe you mother set it for you in the hopes that you would get to school on time."

I grin. "That might have happened too. Thanks Mom."

"Anytime dear." She motions to a bowl of cereal. "I realize that Prom preparations are stressful. Now sit down and eat your breakfast. If you're late despite everything…"

"Don't worry," I interrupt, "I won't be late."

…

Three minutes late, and in trouble. "Thank you for joining us, Sora," Mrs. Johnson snaps.

"I'm terribly sorry, Mrs. Johnson." Why does this always happen to me? I left my house early…the first time. And then, I realized I had forgotten my lunch, so I had to run back and get that.

"This is the second time in two days you've been late, Miss Takenouchi," my teacher continues.

"Yes, ma'am," I reply softly. And then I ran into Tai, and he delayed me quite a bit.

"One more late, and you will serve detention on Friday. Is that clear?"

I feel my eyes widen in shock. Detention on Friday? As in the day of the Prom, Friday? That's like sacrilege. I force myself to nod. "I understand, Mrs. Johnson."

"Very good. Take your seat, please."

I thankfully slide into my chair. Mimi sends me a worried glance and places a note on my desk. I unfold the piece of paper and read, 'Detention on _Friday!_ That's it, I'm coming to your house in the morning to get you for the rest of the week.'

I crumple the note and roll my eyes at Mimi. She glares in return and focuses her attention on Mrs. Johnson. Luckily, English is the one class for which I have done the work. I need to buckle down and catch up in all of my other classes. I vaguely hear Andrea babble something about Tess truly loving Alec. Please, what an idiot. She obviously didn't read the book; otherwise she would realize the stupidity of her words.

"Miss Takenouchi," Mrs. Johnson calls.

"Yes?"

"Do you agree with what Andrea just said?"

"No," I state bluntly, "I don't."

Mimi snickers. Mrs. Johnson nods slowly. "And why is that?"

_Because Andrea's an idiot,_ my mind shouts. "Because anyone who has read the book can clearly see that she doesn't love him. I personally thought that stabbing him was a good indication that Tess loathes Alec."

The entire class laughs at Andrea's foolish mistake. Mrs. Johnson smiles and replies, "Excellent work, Sora."

I fight the urge to turn around and stick my tongue out at Andrea. Terribly childish, I know, but can you blame me? I compromise by smirking and murmuring, "Thank-you, Mrs. Johnson."

…

"You were brilliant in English class!" Mimi cries. We slowly push through the hallways in the direction of Study Hall.

"Thank, Memms," I reply.

"I wish I could have seen the look on Andrea's face. That should teach her not to be such a smart ass next time."

"It will also give her more reason to hate me," I point out.

Mimi snorts. "So what? Do you really want a slut like Andrea to like you?"

"Not particularly. I just hope she doesn't try to…" Someone shoves me into the lockers and interrupts my sentence. I glance up in shock, and meet Andrea's vicious, grey eyes.

"You! How _dare_ you…you little. Who do you think…?"

"I'm sorry, I don't speak idiot," I snap impulsively. Andrea slaps me, making me regret my words immediately. I need to start thinking before I speak.

"What did you just say?"

I take a moment to consider. If I repeat myself, Andrea might claw me to death. But, if I stay silent, she may beat me to death. While I'm contemplation this, someone in the hallway screams, "Fight!"

"I asked you a question, Takenouchi," Andrea sneers. She pushes me forcefully into the lockers once again.

"Let her go, Andrea," Mimi commands.

Andrea slowly turns to face my best friend. "I would watch what I say, Takawatchi. After I'm done with Sora, you're next."

Look at that, we have an audience. So very typical of high school. "Back off, Andrea," I murmur.

Andrea's hand snaps back in my direction. "Make me," she whispers dangerously.

I think this girl has been harbouring a lot of hatred towards Mimi and me. I struggle against her grip and am briefly reminded of the incident in September. "Andrea," I begin, "get away from me." I notice someone of authority push their way through the freshmen and sophomores.

Andrea laughs callously, oblivious to the adult behind her. "When I'm finished with you, Takenouchi, you're going to wish you'd never met me."

"I already do," I reply. Once again, my mouth is moving without consent from my brain.

Andrea pulls back her fist and grins. "That's quite enough, Miss Talan," Ms. Alvarez, our principal interrupts. Andrea promptly releases me and spins around in horror.

"Ms. Alvarez," she stammers, "I was just…well, you see…"

"I'm perfectly aware of what you were doing, Miss Talan. You will accompany me to my office." I gently rub my shoulders where Andrea's nails cut into them. Giving into temptation, I stick my tongue out at Andrea's back. "You will also come to my office, Miss Takenouchi," Ms. Alvarez states.

I cease my childish behaviour and glumly follow the Hispanic principal to her office. Andrea continues to plea innocent. "It really wasn't what it looked like, Ms. Alvarez. I can explain everything."

I force myself to remain silent. When we reach the office, Ms. Alvarez faces us and firmly says, "Sora, you wait out here. I will talk to Andrea first, then you. If you have class now, I will give you a note of excuse. Andrea, follow me."

After Ms. Alvarez's door shuts I sink into a chair and ponder my situation. I can't get in trouble, as I didn't do anything. There are at least half a dozen people who saw Andrea shove me into the lockers. I glance at the door once again and pull my Calculus work out of my backpack. Who knows how long this will take; I might was well get some work done. Despite my worries, I force myself to enter the world of complex and non-real numbers.

…

Nearly half an hour later, the door opens and a meek Andrea emerges. Wow, I never thought I'd see Andrea looking scared, humble, or human for that matter. Her slightly bloodshot eyes remain on the ground while she waits for instruction.

"Sora, I wish to speak with you now. Andrea, wait out here. I will accompany you when I am finished with Miss Takenouchi." Ms. Alvarez beckons me into her office and firmly shuts the door. She motions to a chair. "Have a seat, Sora."

I obey and watch the Hispanic woman arrange some papers. She scans several folders and places then on the corner of her desk. I wonder what she said to Andrea. Finally, Ms. Alvarez settles into her chair and begins, "Well, Sora, I received an interesting account of what happened in the hallway from Andrea. I feel it is only fair to give you the same chance."

"I didn't do anything wrong, Ms. Alvarez," I murmur softly. Though my principal is smaller than me in stature, her tone and mannerism always commands respect. "She just came up and shoved me into the lockers for no reason. Not to mention, she threatened me."

"And you did nothing to provoke this?"

"No, of course not." Her gaze causes me to pause and reflect. "Well, we didn't get along back in September. And, I indirectly corrected her in English class. But it's not like I locked her out of the change room without clothes or anything. She just hates me."

Ms. Alvarez nods slowly. "Do you hate her?"

"Well, yes," I reply haltingly.

"I see." The Hispanic principal taps her fingers on her desk for a moment. "You are free to go, Sora. Just try and avoid fights from now on, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am, thank-you."

On my way to my next class, I replay the meeting in my mind. If anything, Ms. Alvarez's words confused me more than Andrea's hatred.

…

"She did _what_?" Tai shouts.

"Tai, it's okay," I say soothingly. "I'm fine, and I didn't get into any trouble. There's nothing to worry about."

"That girl needs some serious therapy," Tai broods.

"From the rumors I've been hearing, that's exactly what she's getting," Mimi adds.

The three of us turn and gape at Mimi. Joe recovers first. "Are you sure, honey?"

"Yep." Mimi pokes at her limp salad. "I saw her and Ms. Alvarez talking to some woman after Study Hall. I had World Issues with Josh – the army kid who organizes Ms. Alvarez's office – and he overheard her talking to a psychologist."

"Wow," I mutter. Mimi certainly has her connections. She's always one of the first people to know gossip.

"Thank goodness." Tai tightens his grip around my waist. "I was going to take her out for hurting you."

"You would actually hit a girl, Tai?" I ask, with mock surprise.

"Knowing Tai, he'd end up lecturing Andrea," Joe interjects.

"Shut up!" Tai cries.

I know I made the right university choice. I wouldn't be able to survive without these three. They've become a constant in my life – without them, I would be lost. Ick, I sound like a cheesy greeting card.

"Sora? You there?" Mimi calls.

"Huh?" I ask, snapping out of my daydream.

"Tai is asking you what your dress looks like."

"Oh." I turn to my bushy-haired boyfriend. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"Oh come on, Sora," Tai implores. "Give me a hint."

"It's a certain colour and a certain style," I reply ambiguously.

"Helpful." Tai rolls his eyes while Joe snickers.

"Do you two want to go out tonight?" Joe asks Mimi and me.

"I can't," I murmur. "I'm so behind. I need to spend tonight working, or I might fail Grade Twelve."

"Same problem," Mimi adds. "I'm chapters behind in everything."

"Understandable," comes Joe's response.

"Fine," Tai mutters, "but I'm walking you home after school."

…

Tai and I take the long route to my house. The warm, early summer breeze blows my hair away from my face, and causes Tai's hair to look even more adorable. We wander past a jewelry store and I pause to look at the display. A huge, diamond encrusted necklace sits in the centre of the display case. The choker is the same size as my hand. "Look at that necklace," I say to Tai. "It's massive."

Tai whistles softly. "That's a nice chunk of ice."

So romantic, no? "It's far too glitzy, in my opinion. I wouldn't wear something like that. I prefer simple stuff. You know I'm not big on gifts and such." I motion to a display with a gorgeous emerald earring and bracelet set. Tai smiles absently and I point at the set again. "Aren't those earrings pretty, Tai?"

Tai nods distractedly, his eyes glazed. I smile and drag him away from the display case. To be honest, I've been looking at that set for about a month now. It's gorgeous, and I'm hoping Tai picks up on my subtle hints.

We finally reach my house and I say a reluctant good-bye to my boyfriend. Then, I turn my attention to the growing pile of homework on my desk. Okay, time to buckle down and ensure I pass Grade Twelve.

Time until Prom: less than I need.

……………………………………………………………………………………

**_IMPORTANT_**: You all many want to take a look at my bio. I have a small note under the heading 'IMPORTANT' which pertains to my stories. It would be beneficial if you all checked that out. Thanks.

TO Musashibf: No clue why that happens.

TO Steve-Racer: Yes, it has been ages, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Thanks for the review.

TO HuntressDiana: Oh, I didn't even see that typo. Thank-you for pointing it out. I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter. Thank-you for the review!

TO g-b-S-t-E-r07: Thanks.

TO yyhpunk: Thankies!


	5. Irie takes over

Irie: Hello ladies and gentlemen. It is I, the one and _only_ Irie. Have you all missed me? I certainly hope so. If you haven't…then the wrath of Lint Land upon you and your ancestors! I'm Irie, gato's muse. She's mentally and physically exhausted, so I have taken over for a while. Mwahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Are you worried yet? You should be. As usual, she only owns the plot and Andrea. Read it up, kids!

* * *

The doorbell rings just as I pour myself a bowl of cereal. I can hear water running in the bathroom which means that my mom is taking a shower. The bell rings a second time and I run to the door. An impatient Mimi stands on the other side.

"Are you ready for school?" she demands.

"Of course not," I reply, shocked. "I don't usually leave for another fifteen minutes."

"And then you're always late!" Mimi cries. "You heard Mrs. Johnson, didn't you? Do you want detention on Friday?"

"Well, no, but…"

"Then let's go!"

"Mimi, I haven't even had breakfast yet!" I protest.

She sighs heavily. "Fine, but hurry up! We're leaving in five minutes." Mimi removes her shoes and enters my kitchen.

I laugh softly at her dedication. "Mimi, don't worry about it. I'll…"

"You have four and a half minutes to finish your breakfast. Let's go, please."

I shake my head. "Yes, ma'am."

I quickly eat my bowl of cereal while Mimi counts down the time in increments of thirty seconds.

"Time's up!" she announces loudly, handing me my back pack and shoving me towards the door. "Let's go, Sora."

"Okay, I'm coming." I hastily slip on my shoes and follow Mimi to school.

…

"I can't believe you actually came to get me," I say as we slip into our seats, fifteen minutes before the bell.

"You would have been late otherwise," Mimi states firmly.

"You don't know that!" I protest.

"Sora, I've known you forever. You're _always _late."

Well, I can't honestly argue with that. I'm not always late, but the majority of the time, I'm behind schedule. I place my English books on my desk and turn to Mimi. She's currently bent over her desk, her dark hair hiding her work. "What are you working on, Meems?"

"World Issues," she replies without moving. "I need to have an essay outline done for Friday. Did you finish all of your homework?"

"Almost," I lie. I still have so much work to do, and I worked for about seven hours last night. I grudgingly take my French out of my bag and begin to translate complex sentences. I hate languages almost as much as Andrea hates me and Mimi.

Other students file into the classroom. "Wow," someone cries, "I can't believe Sora's actually here on time!"

I glance up and meet Jasmine's eyes. She smiles kindly and I stick my tongue out at the raven-haired girl. She's been in my homeroom for three years, and always jokes about my tardiness. Honestly, being late is the only reason I get detention. "Very funny, Jas."

"I thought so," she calls and slides into her seat at the back of the class. She's cursed with having to sit beside Andrea. Speaking of which, that little slut isn't here yet. Strange. I wonder where she is.

"Andrea isn't here," Mimi whispers as Mrs. Johnson takes attendance.

"I know," I reply quietly. "That's really strange. Maybe she _is_ getting counseling."

Mimi snorts. "She needs it more than any other person I've met. And that includes you."

"Oh, funny," I say sarcastically.

"Sora and Mimi, would you like to share your little secret with the class?"

The class goes silent. I slowly look up and see Mrs. Johnson, angry and impatient, tapping her sleek black shoes on the linoleum.

"Sure, Mrs. Johnson," Mimi begins. I glance at me friend with worry, but she ignores me. "We were merely discussing the fact that Andrea needs some psychiatric help."

I can't believe she actually said that. The class remains silent, though some shake with repressed mirth. I gape in shock and utter terror while Mimi grins innocently. I wait for some sort of horrid punishment. Mrs. Johnson merely shakes her head and continues with the attendance.

…

"Why on earth would you say that?" I ask Mimi as soon as English finishes.

"Oh, come on. It's not like I started a rumor or anything. Everyone already knows that she's in counseling, even the teachers."

"Well of course the teachers know," I say, still stunned by my friend's bold comment. "We could have gotten in so much trouble, you know."

Mimi pauses. "I didn't really think about that."

I snicker. "You're crazy, Meems."

"That's what makes life interesting!"

…

The rest of the day passes without incident. I actually worked during Study Hall. Trust me, it's a rare occurrence. Even more surprising, Tai worked during Study Hall. He's the main reason I procrastinate in that class, but he buckled down and studied. I think the entire room stopped working and gaped when he sat down with a textbook. Mouths hit the floor when he opened it and started reading. It was pretty funny. I guess I'm not the only one who is behind in school.

I trudge into my last period class: French. Mademoiselle LaRose writes a new grammar concept on the board and I write feverishly in an effort to keep up with the notes. I wish I wasn't here.

"Ms. Sora Takenouchi, please report to the main office," a tinny voice calls over the intercom.

I frown and slowly gather my books. I have to be more careful about the wishes I make. On the way to Mrs. Alvarez's office, I try to think of anything I did that could get me into trouble. I doubt Mimi's comment would have taken so long to reach Mrs. Alvarez's ears. What on earth is this about?

"Hello, Miss Takenouchi," the secretary greets. I grin tightly in reply. "Mrs. Alvarez is waiting for you in her office. Go on in."

"Good afternoon, Sora," Mrs. Alvarez says as I open the door.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Alvarez," I reply. A tall, thin woman stands near my principal. Her black hair is pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

"This is Ms. Crayton. She is a psychiatrist at the institution where Andrea will be spending some time. She wants to talk to you about your rivalry with Andrea."

"Oh," I say, surprised. "Of course."

"Very good. I'll leave the two of you to talk." The Hispanic woman makes her way to the door, then pauses. "And Sora, this meeting is private. I would appreciate it if you would refrain from telling anyone about this, do you understand?"

"Yes, Mrs. Alvarez. I understand."

As soon as the door closes, Ms. Crayton turns her attention to me. "Sit down, please, Miss Takenouchi."

I obey and ask, "Please, what's the matter with Andrea?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that. I'm surprised that you seem worried about her." Her cool, blue eyes watch me closely.

I wasn't really worried; I just wanted to know what her defect was so that I could make fun of her. I guess Ms. Crayton figured that part out. "Well, she is a human being, or so I'm told."

Ms. Crayton smiles. "I see your principal wasn't lying about the animosity between the two of you."

"She hates me, I hate her. It's a lovely circle of hate."

She writes something in her notebook. "Would you mind telling me where this hatred began?"

Oh, this is going to take a while.

…

Over an hour later, I leave the office and collide with Mimi.

"Where have you been? You missed all of French, not to mention the ball rang ten minutes ago," she says quickly.

"Well, I'm not technically supposed to tell you," I reply slyly.

"Oh really?" She raises an eyebrow incredulously.

"I'll fill you in on the way home," I say with a grin.

"I though as much. Make sure you bring your French books. We have a composition due Friday."

"What?" I cry. "I hate teachers. This is ridiculous."

"It's a group composition," Mimi continues, ignoring my outburst. "And you're my partner. We can get it done tonight after we pick up the boutonnières."

"Oh, damn. I completely forgot about those."

"Well, then it's a good thing we paid before hand," Mimi states bluntly. "Now let's go. The flower store closes in forty minutes."

…

After a lovely trip to the flower store (I never want to see a carnation again), Mimi and I arrive at my house. "And that is why I missed French," I conclude.

"She's probably in for anger management," Mimi muses.

I flop onto my couch. "I hate homework."

"Up you get," Mimi commands. "We have to get this done quickly. I have tons of other work to do."

I study my friend closely. "What is up with you today? How do you have so much energy?"

Mimi grins. "I've become addicted to coffee."

I shake my head as Mimi reels off ideas for our composition. There are times when I worry about the mental health of my dear friend.

…

"Done!" Mimi cries happily.

"Wow, that only took an hour," I say, studying my composition closely. It looks right. I notice Mimi's hands shake slightly as she moves to pick up her pen. "How much coffee have you had, Mimi?"

"Six or seven cups."

"Mimi!" I reprimand sharply.

"It's fine," she says soothingly. "I'll stop drinking it once Prom is finished. I just need it to survive the next couple days."

Mimi leaves soon after, and I attempt to stare down a pile of homework. The homework is winning.

…

Thursday.

I glance at the clock; Mimi was here at this time yesterday. Instinctively, I open the door before Mimi can ring the bell.

"Ready for school?" she asks happily.

"Almost," I reply. "How much coffee have you had today?"

"Only two cups." She smirks saucily. I think she's lying.

"Give me three minutes. I'm just going to put my bowl in the dishwasher." I run into the kitchen and clean up my breakfast. While putting on my shoes, I hastily yell, "Bye Mom!"

"Bye, honey. Have a good day."

I shoulder my backpack as Mimi pulls me from the house.

…

"Guess what tomorrow is," Mimi bubbles.

"Prom?" I ask sarcastically. As if I could forget.

"And, our anniversaries!" she cries.

"You're cut off from coffee."

"This isn't just coffee," Mimi says giddily. "I also had jellybeans."

"Mimi," I groan, "it's eight in the morning. What were you thinking?"

She shrugs and snickers. Great, Mimi on a coffee _and_ sugar buzz. Lovely.

"Sora!"

"Mimi!"

We turn toward the familiar voices. Tai unexpectedly spins me around in greeting. "Good morning to you too, Tai," I say.

Mimi places a kiss on Joe's cheek and interlaces their finger. Looks like its going to be a pretty good day.

…

Mimi slowly chews a miniscule piece of Thursday Mystery Meat. We watch, waiting for her verdict. She swallows and quickly takes a sip of grape juice.

"Well?" Joe asks.

"It isn't turkey," she says slowly, poking the pasty substance. "I think it might be a combination of veal and beef."

I sniff the strange lump of food and take a microscopic bite. "God, that's disgusting," I murmur. "Thank goodness I brought a sandwich today."

"And I have more jellybeans!" Mimi giggles.

"No!" we shout.

Mimi's been insane all day. Honestly, she tripped over _air_ and fell through the door into European History. Clumsiness like that is _my_ job.

"Sor, what colour is your dress?" Tai asks again.

"I'm not…"

"It's not a colour; it's a shade," Mimi interrupts.

Everyone groans.

…

I return home with the hope of getting to bed early.

"Hello, Sora," my mother greets.

"Mom," I say, gaping. "What are you doing home?"

"Remember how that American company wants us to expand? Well, they've sent some helpers who are taking care of the store tonight and tomorrow."

"That's great, Mom."

"Yes." She fixes me with her gaze. She wants to discuss something important, I can tell. "So, honey, what have you decided about university?"

"Oh, I want to stay here."

"Really?"

"Yes," I say slowly, barely convincing myself.

"As long as you're sure that's what you want. You still have a week to accept Queens."

"I know."

"Well," my mother continues with a grin, "I'm sure you'll be happy whatever you choose. Oh, and you got this acceptance letter today."

She hands me a thick package. I hastily tear apart the envelope; confetti spills onto the kitchen table. The letterhead bears the Santher University logo. It's one of the best universities in Japan. I've heard that it rivals Queens. "I got into Santher," I whisper.

"I knew you would, honey," my mom gushes.

…

I slowly climb into bed around eleven. This is honestly the earliest I've gone to bed in weeks. I flop down and hit my back on something solid. Cursing, I grab the phone from amid my sheets and place it on my desk.

University questions rave in my mind as I try to fall asleep. I try counting sheep. Thoughts are still playing tag.

I try reading. That only makes me wonder what subject will be my major.

I picture a soothing river. Hmmm, that reminds me: I'm thirsty.

God, this isn't working! I need sleep or I might die from exhaustion. What usually makes me relax? Oh, I know. Tai's face appears in my imagination as I slowly succumb to my fatigue.

* * *

Irie: Okay, she left instructions that I'm supposed to read, but they're so boring. They say something about the Prom being in the next chapter…Obviously that's unimportant. So, I'll spice this up a bit: next chapter, Sora and Tai will be faced by a raving red and orange chicken. Meanwhile, Mimi has decided to face her fears and is wrangling the bubble bulls. Stay tuned!

Reviewer Response…Irie style…

TO Musashibf: Hellooooooooooooo! School is stressful? Really? I wouldn't know. I think running _two_ different worlds is more stressful, so ha! A blue key for you as thanks for reviewing.

TO Steve-Racer: You can't tell me what to do with my story. They're my ideas! _Mine_. Well, I guess they're gato's too, but I come up with most of them. A green party hat for you.

TO SoratoFan: Ummm, no offence, but what in the name of all things colourful did your review mean? It didn't make any sense, so whatever. A pink, broken whistle for you.

TO KaguyaEvenstar: Did I spell that right? Who knows! Anyhow, Andrea is trouble, isn't she? I think she's crazy, just like me! You get a deflated, purple water balloon…those are super special.

TO digimon-Taiora: Well, she's baaaaaaaaack! And, so am I. We finished two stories for the other website, so we came back! Party! A silver thermos for you!

Irie: Good bye, children. REMEMBER TO READ AND REVIEW!


	6. Prom and After Party

Gato: Okay, so a huge amount of apologies for Irie last chapter. No idea what she was thinking, but she is being punished. Severely. And, the play is over (which is actually very sad, because now I am suffering from post-play depression) so I have more time to write. Sort of. I only have one more week of school left, and it's just exams. Okay, I'm rambling. I own only the plot and Andrea.

* * *

Friday, Friday, Friday. This means Prom day. This means, possibly the most stressful day ever. Ever.

I eat a very small bowl of cereal, grab my bag and open the door as Mimi is about to knock.

"I'm ready," I say, interrupting her question.

She smiles. "I had a feeling you would be. Excited for Prom?"

"Not yet. There's still an entire school day to get through. Then we have to get ready. Talk to me in about ten hours. I'll be excited then."

Mimi laughs lightly. "God, Sora, you need to calm down. What's up with you today? Prom is supposed to be fun, remember?"

I exhale slowly. She's right, as happens very often. And it isn't even Prom that's bother me. "I got into Santher," I say quickly.

"Are you serious, Sora?" Mimi cries happily. "That' brilliant! I always told you that you were a genius."

"It just adds to the stress of picking universities." I sigh, confused by Mimi's joy at the news.

She frowns. "Not really. I mean, Santher is a great school _and_ it's here. What's the big decision?"

"It's just that…"

"I see my beautiful Sora!" Tai calls from a few feet away.

"And the ever so ravishing Mimi," Joe adds.

Mimi throws her arms around her boyfriend and giggles. "Ha…"

"No, I'll go first," Joe interrupts. "Happy Anniversary, Mimi."

"Joe, you remembered!" Mimi squeals happily and presses her lips into his.

I watch the scene and jump when Tai wraps his arm around my waist.

"Happy Anniversary, Tai," I say softly. He merely grins and kisses me. I will never understand this boy.

…

Class is going agonizingly slowly. This hour of English feels like it has lasted for half a day. At least our last two classes got cancelled so that we have more time to get ready. Beside me, Mimi dozes on her open binder. Andrea's back, and I can hear her gabbing about her 'absolutely fab prom dress'. As lovely as this topic is, I'd much rather listen to a mule sing.

"Settle down, please, class," Mrs. Johnson calls over the loud whispers. "Andrew, can you please analyze the second paragraph on page three hundred and seventeen."

"Tess slept with some guy again?" Andrew calls over the din. Several people snicker at the witty response. Now, most other teachers would have given up by now. Mrs. Johnson is not a normal teacher, or even a normal human being.

"Very funny, Andrew. I will give you a second chance to answer the question correctly, or you will serve detention this afternoon.

Wow, that shut the class up pretty quickly. Even Andrea has stopped listing off mundane details about her dress. Mimi murmurs something in her sleep. I quickly poke her and turn my attention back to the front. She sits up quickly, her eyes wide and faced flushed.

"Thanks," she whispers.

"Anytime," I reply. "You have pen on your face."

"Great."

"I'm waiting, Andrew," Mrs. Johnson reminds.

He sighs. "The passage is talking about fertility and nature, again."

"Very good. Now, I want a short paper about love in this novel by next Tuesday."

Everyone groans but she quells is with a glare. See, I told you she wasn't human.

…

"An essay due next Tuesday?" Mimi cries, echoing my thoughts.

"I know," I mutter. "This is the worst thing ever."

"Does she _not_ realize that Prom is tonight? This entire weekend is going to be dedicated to partying and such. Just because _she_ doesn't have a social life doesn't mean she gets to ruin everyone's weekend! _And_ it's the anniversary weekend too! I don't know about you, but I wasn't planning on being home that much this weekend. I was planning to go out with Joe. I _hate_ that woman!"

Mimi's rant progressively got louder until she shrieked the last bit. People in the hallway turn in alarm at her outburst. I can't help but laugh.

"Yelling about it isn't going to help, Meems," I say soothingly.

"Maybe not, but it makes me feel better anyhow."

I laugh again. "Okay, I have Calc now."

"And I have World Issues," Mimi says exhaustedly.

"See you at lunch, then?"

"As usual."

As I walk into my Calculus class, I think of the little traditions Mimi and I have devised through our years of school together. I'm going to miss her if I go to Santher. Have I mentioned that I hate university?

…

I slide into my usual spot beside Tai.

"Good afternoon, beautiful," He greets. I smile.

"Nice to see you too, Tai."

Mimi and Joe arrive. Mimi is talking about something as Joe nods understandingly.

"…so now we have an essay due on _Tuesday_! How unfair is that?" Mimi demands.

"Very unfair," Joe agrees. "I guess you'll have to do it Sunday evening, as I have you booked for the rest of the weekend."

"I love you, Joe," Mimi squeals.

"And I you."

"Don't mind us," Tai interrupts jokingly.

"Yes, please continue," I add.

They turn in our direction, Joe blushing and Mimi glowering. I snicker and lean my head on Tai's shoulder.

"So it's okay for the two of you to show affection, but not us?" Mimi demands jokingly.

"As if Tai _ever_ shows affection," I reply.

"I resent that," he says, kissing me softly on the cheek.

Mimi rolls her eyes and drops into her chair. "The two of you sicken me," she says.

"We try," Tai replies.

Joe lowers himself into his chair and places his bag on the table. Mimi turns and fishes something out of her backpack. I watch, grinning while Tai stares at his food, oblivious to the scene.

"Happy anniversary," Mimi and Joe cry simultaneously. Tai looks up from his food in surprise and I giggle. The two look shocked for a moment, then exchange gifts.

Joe carefully unwraps his gift under Mimi's happy gaze. His jaw dropped (literally) when he saw the book. "Mimi," he whispered, "you remembered that I wanted this book. I don't believe it."

"I'm guessing that means you like it," she bubbles. I can't help but smile at his shocked yet joyous expression.

"I love it, Meems. It's incredible." He pulls her into a kiss and I turn my attention to Tai.

"I can't believe she actually remembered that book," Tai mutters. "Joe's been saving up to buy it."

"And now he doesn't have to. It's so cute."

"Alright, now you open your gift, Meems," Joe commands softly.

"Okay!" she cries happily and tears the wrapping paper from the slim package. Her eyes express joy and amazement as she stares at the gift. It looks like a photo or a plaque, but I can't tell. She gapes inarticulately at the present for a moment longer then throws her arms around Joe.

I grab the item and feel my eyes widen.

"What is it?" Tai asks, leaning over my shoulder. I hear him gasp, "Oh my God."

I stare at a picture taken almost four years earlier. Joe and Mimi smile back at me, fingers intertwined. Back in ninth grade, the two were partnered in a dance competition (I know, Joe dancing is a foreign concept, but its true) and won. Mimi has been searching for a copy of this picture ever since, but hadn't found it anywhere. I can't believe Joe managed to get a copy.

"Where did you get it, Joe?" Mimi asks softly.

"That's my little secret," he replies happily.

"I love it Joe. This makes me so happy."

"That's all I ever want."

I pull a box from my backpack. "Well, if we're all giving out presents, I might as well do this. Happy Anniversary, Tai!"

He gingerly takes the box from me and unties the ribbon. I wait for his reaction while the other two watch in anticipation. A huge grin spreads across his face as he sees the Swiss Army Knife. He carefully removes it from the box and notices the inscription. Our initials are intertwined and followed by the letters TMD.

"TMD," he muses, "Truly, Madly, Deeply, just like our song, right?"

"Yep," I say happily.

"It's perfect, Sor. Just like you." He pulls me into a kiss, and I dully register the lunch bell ringing somewhere in the background accompanied by Mimi's catcalls. As we trek out of the lunch room to our next class, I realize that Tai didn't give me a present. Oh well, maybe I'll get it at the end of the day.

…

"Hurry up, Sora! We only have like four hours to get ready and everything. Not to mention that our hair appointments are in twenty minutes. You need to be ready now!"

If you can't tell, that's Mimi. She's currently standing by my locker, shouting orders at me as I frantically throw things into my backpack. She really needs to calm down.

"Mimi you need to…"

"I do _not _need to calm down. You need to hurry up!"

"Well, I'm…"

"Not fast enough."

"Do we have…"

"Yes, and it's due on Thursday."

"How do you…"

"I just do."

"You're…"

"Yes, I know."

I'm sure that conversation was very confusing, but I don't have time to elaborate. I think Mimi might drag me out by my hair if I don't finish packing.

"Okay, I'm ready," I say, slamming my locker shut.

"Finally," she says impatiently. "Now let's get to the hair salon."

I follow my raven haired friend out of the school, but can't help thinking that I still don't have my present.

…

"Okay, sweetie, how are we doing your hair?" Tatiana, my hair stylist asks.

"I was thinking something along the lines of a classy bun with a couple pieces near my face."

She inspects me for a moment then nods. "That will work out very nicely. Let's get started, shall we?"

I can hear Mimi explaining her elaborate hair style to a very patient Lexia. All I can understand is that she wants it straightened then she wants a half-bun, half-ponytail. Clearly, Mimi has given this quite a lot of thought.

I watch my reflection as Tatiana pulls my hair back from my face. My mind drifts to the frustrating topic of university choices. Look into my heart, huh? Very easy advice to give; not quite so simple to follow.

…

I smirk at the mirror. My hair is exactly what I wanted it to look like. Tatiana is a hair styling master.

"It's perfect, Tatiana. Thank-you so much."

"You look lovely, Sora. I want pictures from this thing, you understand?"

"Of course, Tatiana."

"Lexia, you are a genius!" Mimi cries happily.

I walk over to my friend and see the end result of Lexia's labour. Mimi's hair hangs straight in a loose and stylish half-bun, half-ponytail. There really is no other way to describe the hair style. Her layered hair allows some pieces to frame her face. It looks amazing.

"Your hair looks incredible, Meems!"

"So does yours, Sora. Now, we should get going. We still have to get into our dresses and do our makeup. The limo will be at your house in about two hours."

"Yes ma'am."

We pay and tip our respective hair stylists, then walk quickly to my house. Mimi dropped her dress, make-up and accessories off last night. My mother greets us happily.

"You two look lovely," she gushes. "Once you're dressed and such, I'm going to take pictures. Oh, and Mimi, your mother called. She wants to see you all dressed up, so she is coming over later."

"Oh, okay," Mimi says in surprise. "I thought she had to work today."

"She took the evening off so that she could see you."

"Wow, that's insane," Mimi says quietly. "Now, let's get ready Sora. Quickly!"

…

"Don't fidget, Sora," Mimi commands. Wow, this is rather reminiscent of getting ready for the dance back in September.

"Sorry Meems," I reply, flinching unconsciously as she approaches with the eyeliner.

"I'm surprised you're letting me put eyeliner on you. I thought you hated it."

"I do, but I have to get over the fear eventually."

"Mmmm," Mimi muses, inspecting my face. "Perfect, now go and get your dress on while I finish my make-up. Then put on your accessories."

Mimi really can be like a drill sergeant at times. I merely nod and walk into my bathroom. I pull the dress up from the floor, so as not to ruin my hair or make-up. Mimi managed to do my make-up to match the dark blue of my dress. I slowly put on the silver earrings and bracelet, then exit the bathroom. Mimi stands in the centre of my room, completely dressed and accessorized. We study each others outfits and grin.

"Sora, you look incredible. Tai is going to faint when he sees you."

"Same to you, Mimi. I think Joe may have a heart attack."

Mimi smiles idly and smoothes down her dress. I catch my reflection in the mirror and grin. I guess all the work and time was necessary.

"Look at the two of you!" Mrs. Takawatchi cries. "I can't believe how grown up you are!"

"Mom," Mimi says in surprise. "When did you get here?"

"She arrived a few minutes ago," my mom replies.

"I can't believe you got time off work, Mom."

"It's not every day my little girl goes to the prom," she replies. "Now, move closer to Sora so I can take some pictures of the two of you before the boys arrive."

A few minutes later, small dots hover around my eyes thanks to the lovely flash bulbs. The doorbell rings.

"That's the boys!" Mimi cries.

I smile instinctively and attempt to clear my vision. My mother opens the front door, and the two boys enter, sophisticated and adorable. Tai even managed to get his wild hair under control. They enter the living room and stare in shock. Once again, the time was worth it.

"Mimi you look…"

"Sora, you're…"

"…amazing."

"…gorgeous."

"You don't look too bad yourself, Tai," I say lightly.

"You clean up good, Joe," Mimi jokes.

"Okay," my mother calls, "your limo will be here soon, and I want some more pictures. Get into a group."

More pictures? I don't think my eyeballs can handle this.

…

I step out of the limo at the hotel that is hosting out Prom. I have a rose from Tai in my hair and a gorgeous corsage around my wrist. He follows me out of the limo and takes my hand.

"Ready for the Prom?" he asks.

"That I am."

Joe and Mimi exit the limo, and we walk into the ballroom. It's gorgeous. The dance committee went into debt on this one, I'm pretty sure. Silver and blue decorations adorn everything from the walls to the tables. People mill about near their tables, discussing how long it took them to get ready and such. I see Andrea, in a dress that shows more skin than fabric, clinging to Matt's arm. Those two deserve each other, I swear. Tai gently leads me to our table where Greek Salad waits. Mimi sits between me and Joe. Still no present from Tai. I figure I should just forget it and enjoy the disgusting food. I guess this is how the committee managed to avoid debt: the stopped caring about food. Well done, dance committee.

After dinner, the DJ takes over the entertainment and people begin to move onto the dance floor.

"Let's go, Meems," Joe insists.

"Okay, just let me get rid of my shoes first. If I don't take these off, I won't be able to walk after half an hour."

She eases the high stilettos off her feet and follows her boyfriend onto the dance floor.

"Let's dance, Tai," I implore.

"Well…"

"Come on, Tai," I say, giving him my best puppy dog eyes.

"How can I say no that that face?" he asks, pulling me onto the dance floor.

…

Several hours later, I carefully pull my shoes back on.

"See, dancing wasn't that bad, was it Tai?"

"No, not _that_ bad," he jokes. I shove him lightly.

"Come on, guys," Mimi calls, "the limo is here to take us to the after party."

"Who is having this after party?" Joe asks.

Tai and I shrug, but Mimi recites, "Cat Rodriguez, 54 Breeders Crescent."

We stare and Mimi merely shrugs. Our limo pulls up and I slide into the seat while Mimi repeats the address to the driver.

"Wait a second, Cat Rodriguez? As in the Spanish girl?" Tai asks.

"No, the other Cat Rodriguez," I reply sarcastically.

"Yeah, why?" Mimi replies.

"She doesn't seem like the type to have parties."

"I think she lost a bet with her friends," Mimi says slowly.

"Let's hope it's a good party," I say.

"There will be music, snacks and alcohol. What else do you need?" Mimi asks.

"An ID saying you're of age?" I offer.

"She's not going to card people," Mimi assures us.

"Are you planning on drinking, Meems?" Joe asks.

"Yes," Mimi replies quickly.

"What about you, Sora?" Tai asks.

"I doubt it," I reply. "I'll probably have to take care of you mister-pass-out-after-a-few-beers."

"You can't say that, you weren't at that party," Tai argues lightly. I merely giggle at the stories I heard from his soccer friends.

"I guess she'll have to be sober if she's hosting it," Joe muses.

"That sucks," Mimi murmurs. "I would never host an after party, not only because of the lack of drinking, but because of the clean-up."

"Yeah, I hope she has people helping her," I say.

"And a lot of bathrooms," Tai adds.

The limo stops in front of a huge brick house. We exit quickly, staring at the house. Several people from our school are walking up the large driveway towards the door.

"Well, I think this house should have enough bathrooms," I mutter.

"No wonder she's having it," Mimi says, "her house is huge!"

"Let's go!" Tai cries, pulling me toward the house.

…

We wander into the kitchen and gape that the polished mini-bar in the centre of the room. She really went all out for this party; I can't even imagine how long it took her to get ready. Cat stands behind the minibar, her sparkly purple dress reflecting the light. She and two others give people mixed drinks or point them in the direction of the beer. Mimi disappears briefly and re-appears with two red drinks.

"What are those?" I ask as Tai vanishes in search of beer.

"Cosmopolitans," she replies, handing me a glass. "Try one."

"I'm not sure," I say, staring at the red liquid dubiously.

"It's up to you. I can't believe she's actually making drinks for people. This is going to be the best party ever!" Mimi cries, taking a large sip from her drink. Somewhere down the hall, music blasts, much to the joy of my more intoxicated classmates. Tai returns with two beers.

"I thought you said you weren't drinking, Sora?" he says before chugging a can of beer.

"It's Mimi's drink, I'm just holding it," I reply, watching him knock back his second can. "How can you drink that so quickly?"

"It's a guy thing," Tai replies, taking a shot of something from a passing tray.

"No it isn't," Joe contradicts. "I can't drink beer that quickly."

"You just need more practice, man."

Mimi grabs a couple of shots from another tray. She shoots one and pulls a face.

"God, I hate tequila. Do you want it, Tai?"

He shrugs and takes the shot glass. Mimi grins and slides in the direction of the bar once more. Joe shakes his head and follows.

"Come get some more beer with me," Tai says, pulling me in the direction of the horrid beverage. I still clutch my Cosmopolitan without any intention of drinking. Tai takes two more beers and we make our way to the dance area. He drinks these slowly and I take a tentative sip of my drink. It tastes surprisingly good and I slowly finish the glass. I'm sure one drink won't do anything to me.

"Wow, you actually finished it!" Tai says. His words are starting to slur together and I grin.

"Yeah, it was pretty good."

"Here," he grabs two shots of a blue liquid, "drink one of these, then we'll go and dance."

"Well, okay." I quickly shoot the blue drink, and cough at the burning sensation in my throat. Tai laughs and pulls me onto the dance floor.

…

An hour and several beers later, Tai's hands are starting to wander. I think it's probably a good idea to get him away from the music. I'm kind of dizzy, and I've only done one more shot since we started dancing. I guess I don't have too much of a tolerance. Things are moving slower than they should. Oh dear.

"Sora!" someone screeches. I turn in time to see Mimi through her arms around me.

"Hey there, Meems."

"I couldn't find out before, and I thought that you were lost, but Joe kept saying you weren't lost and now aren't lost, so I'm happy."

I nod, though I have no idea what she just said. Joe grins and shakes his head. Beside me, Tai is laughing hysterically at something.

"What's so funny, Tai?"

"Mimi thought you were lost," he chokes though his laughter.

"Riiiight," I reply, sending him a strange look. Oh my, drunk people are amusing.

"Let's take a picture!" Mimi cries.

"Yes!" I reply, much more enthusiastically than usual. I'm pretty buzzed. Joe sends me a look and asks Cat to take out picture. Mimi poses like a model and Tai wraps his arms around my waist, placing a kiss on my cheek. The flash does nothing to help my dizziness.

"Okay, Sora, Joe and I are going to go now, but we're not going to be lost, okay? You take care of Tai! I love you!"

"I love you too, Meems, have fun!"

"Do you love Mimi more than you love me?" Tai asks, pouting.

"Of course not," I reply, snickering at his expression. I blink and force myself to focus on Tai's face. My mind keeps telling me to do really stupid things. I finally succumb to one of my drunken mind's requests. "Tai, why didn't you give me my anniversary gift yet?"

Tai looks confused for a moment, then slurs bluntly, "I didn't buy you one."

"What?" It takes me a while to process what he just said. I can't make myself understand his words.

"I didn't buy you an anniversary present."

"Why not?" I demand, my voice shrilly. Oh god, I'm really drunk. Against my better judgment, I take another shot from a tray.

"I just didn't," he replies and attempts to kiss me. I shove him away and stalk over to the bar.

"A Cosmopolitan, please," I say to Cat, who is watching me closely. I wonder if my words are slurring together.

"I think you've had enough hard alcohol for tonight, hun," she says slowly.

"No," I whine. "I want some more."

"Okay," she replies, and hands me a glass of something clear. "I ran out of cranberry juice, so this is vodka. It'll hit you just as hard."

I gulp down the drink. "I couldn't even taste the alcohol in that."

Cat nods, "I know. Come back if you want more later."

I shove my way through the crowd, half hoping to see Tai. My wish comes true as he drags me into a dance. I take one final shot and decide to forget about Tai's betrayal for tonight. He's going to regret this tomorrow.

* * *

Okay, so I started writing this chapter weeks ago, and got four pages in. That's mainly because my creative muse (i.e. - Irie) died. I think she has resurrected since today, I wrote roughly ten pages. I'm in exams now, which surprisingly means I will be writing more. I hate studying, and procrastinate it like no other, so I will use that time to write.

I hope everyone like the chapter!

TO Steve-Racer: I am _so_ sorry about Irie's rudeness. I swear there are times that I have no idea what goes through her mind. Or if she even has one. Sorry again. Thanks for the review.

TO Angel: Sorry, I can't make it Mimato. This is the second part of a series and it has been Mimi and Joe from the start.

TO Musashibf: Too much soda indeed. Irie is the best, is she? I'll let her know that if she ever makes an appearance again. Thanks for the review.

TO digimon-Taiora: I'm back and better, thanks. I'm glad you liked the last chapter. How was this one? Thanks for reviewing.

TO Mew Yukari: Well, there was no raving chicken, but I hope you liked the chapter anyway. Here's the update! Thanks for the review!

And, that's all for now. I have no idea when or if Irie will come back. I suppose she can't stay dead forever, can she? We'll see what happens with that.

Byes for now.


	7. Harsh Words with No Regrets

Gato: Aaaaaaaand, I return with a new chapter. Sorry that took forever and a day. I was moving out of residence and back home and I've been working, and dealing with romantic drama…I've been busy. So, anyhow, here's the new chapter, done as well as could be without a muse. Hope you enjoy.

………………………………………………………………………

A throbbing pain in my head wakes me from deep slumber. I slowly open my eyes and sit up, but that only worsens the pounding headache and nausea. I lay back down, muttering about the pain.

I hear a toilet flush, and a couple seconds later, Mimi returns to the room. Hey, wait a second, this isn't my room. This isn't even my house. Where the hell…oh yeah. I told my mom I'd be staying at Joe's after Prom. That was definitely a good plan.

"You hung-over too?" Mimi asks, lowering herself onto the bed.

"Maybe just a little bit," I groan. I force my eyes to focus and glance around the room, wincing slightly at the bright light. Mimi sits above me on Joe's blue double bed. I'm on an air mattress (a comfy one, I must say) on the floor. I shift slightly and see the door to the bathroom. Hey, where's Tai?

"Do you think you can stand up?" Mimi questions.

"My brain hurts," I respond groggily.

Mimi giggles lightly. "Well, I know this won't sound appealing, but you're going to have to eat something."

"Oh God," I say as my stomach reaches the same level of pain as my head.

"Don't worry; Joe will take good care of us."

"How are you so coherent and awake?"

"A few reasons," Mimi says slowly. "One: I have a higher tolerance than you. Two: I ate more at dinner. Three: I didn't mix hard alcohol and beer. Four: I didn't drink as quickly as you did."

"Once again, oh God. I hate drinking; I'm never drinking again."

Mimi laughs softly. "Everyone says that at first. I can't believe how much you drank though. Cat was giving you glasses of water to help you sober up and you thought it was alcohol. What's the last thing you remember?"

I force myself to try and arrange the blurry event that was the after party.

"I remember being mad at Tai, and then dancing with him. I remember drinking a beer only because I couldn't taste it. And then I remember Cat giving me another glass of 'vodka'. I have no idea how we got here or anything after that."

Mimi nods slowly. "Why were you mad at Tai?"

"Where is he?" I reply, skirting her question.

"Well," she says carefully.

"Just tell me, Meems."

"You refused to sit next to him in the taxi from Cat's house. Then, you yelled at him and insisted that you would not sleep in the same room as him. He slept on the couch and Joe took him home about an hour ago."

"Are you serious?" I demand, sitting up too quickly for my own health. A terrible combination of pain assaults my body and I dash to the bathroom. I return to the bedroom after purging the minimal contents of my stomach.

"Definitely hung-over," Mimi says quietly.

"Thanks, because I needed a reminder," I reply sarcastically. "I think I should talk to Tai."

"Do you honestly think that's a good idea?" Mimi asks. "I don't think either of you are in a state to discuss relationship related issues. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

I sigh and slowly sink back onto my make—shift bed. I slowly lower my head to my knees in an attempt to stop the incessant throbbing.

"He didn't buy me an anniversary gift."

"What?" Mimi's voice hurts my head. I fend of the tears that I know will only worsen the migraine.

"He didn't buy me an anniversary gift," I repeat. "He didn't even have a reason for it. He just didn't buy one."

"Oh, sweetie."

Mimi gently embraces me, and I feel the need to cry disappear. Why should I be sad about Tai's stupidity? After all, I did promise myself quite sometime ago that I would not cry over a boy again.

"It'll be okay, Sora," Mimi soothes.

"Yes," I reply tightly, "everything will be okay one way or another."

Mimi pulls back and studies my face. "What do…"

"I'm back!" Joe announces. Mimi leaves her question unfinished as her boyfriend enters the room.

"Hey, Joe!" she calls.

"Hey. Good to see that the two of you are alive and well. I have some food and Advil waiting for you in the kitchen."

"Sounds like a lovely combination," I joke.

"How are you feeling, Sora?" Joe asks.

"I've definitely been better," I reply. "But I'll survive. Sorry if I was problematic yesterday."

"Don't worry about it, you weren't that bad. I think Mimi caused more problems," Joe replies.

"Hey!" Mimi cries, shoving him lightly. "I didn't cause any problems."

"Yeah, none that you remember," Joe retaliates with a laugh.

Mimi flushes lightly and cries, "I remember everything about last night, thank you very much."

"I wish I could say the same," I interject and the pair turns in my direction. They exchange a brief glance, then grin.

"Don't worry, you didn't do anything _too_ bad last night," Joe says ambiguously.

"Oh that's _so_ helpful," I respond and slowly get to my feet. "Okay, let's see about this food nonsense."

"Probably the best idea," Mimi says, helping me keep my balance.

"Come on, it's just in the kitchen. You guys can shower before you go home if you want. At the very least, you should wash your faces so you look less like clowns who just woke up."

"Charming!" Mimi exclaims indignantly.

"Yeah, you really know how to make a girl feel special, Joe."

"Hey, I was just kidding," he defends, holding his hands up as if to ward off attack. "You both look lovely."

"That's more like it," Mimi mutters, dropping into a kitchen chair.

"Agreed," I say, staring at the small helping of food. Just the smell is bringing the intense nausea back to the surface. Without a word, I run to the bathroom once again. Oh man, I am _never_ drinking again.

…

An hour and two spoonfuls of food later, I stand under the soothing warmth of the shower. How did I let things spiral so far out of control? Why didn't Tai buy me a gift? What the hell is going on in our relationship? Could I possibly ask any more questions? I think so. I slowly turn off the shower and towel myself dry. As I gingerly get dressed, careful to not upset my headache, I hear Mimi's muffled voice. Joe's whispered reply attracts me attention. Fully dressed, I press my ear to the bathroom door.

"…so _that's_ why she was angry," Joe murmurs.

"Has Tai mentioned anything that was bothering him about their relationship? I can't believe he didn't buy her a gift for no specific reason."

"He hasn't said anything," Joe mutters. "This is so strange."

"I know. I thought if anyone would last, it would be those two."

"Hey, they're not broken up yet!" Joe cries softly. Then, "You didn't believe we would make it?"

"Of course I did, just not in the same way. I keep waiting for me to do something stupid to screw this relationship up. But, I haven't yet, and I'm so happy."

"I feel the same way. I love you."

"I love you too, Joe."

The end of their conversation only encourages my relationship pain and my gag reflex. Once again, I empty me stomach of its minimal contents. I need to get out of this house. As much as I love Mimi and Joe, seeing a happy couple is something I need about as much as a drill to my left temple.

I slowly open the door and smile tersely.

"I think I'm going to head home," I announce.

"Are you sure, Sora?" Mimi asks.

"Yeah. I need sleep more than anything, and my mom won't be home until late tonight. Besides, I think the walk will do me some good."

"As long as you're sure," Joe says. "We can walk you home if you want."

"No, I'll be fine," I maintain. "I'm starting to feel better already."

Mimi pulls me into a tight hug. "I'll call you later, okay?"

"Thanks, Meems."

Joe embraces me softly. "If you need anything, you call me, okay?"

"Will do, Joe. Bye guys." I pick up my duffle bag and quickly leave Joe's house. Once outside, the sun and breeze help to ease the pain slightly and lift my sprits. All I need to do is take some distance from Tai and our relationship. I'll get some sleep, have some food, and think about this later. Just for the record, I am never drinking again.

…

I arrive home and collapse onto the couch. The one thing I am is thirsty; gotta love cotton-mouth. I slowly drag myself to the kitchen, and notice the incessant flash of the answering machine's light.

'You have three messages,' the mechanical voice announces while I pour myself some water.

'Sora, it's Tai,' the first message begins. I spit my water across the room. For the love of…why the hell is he calling?

'Sora, I know you're mad at me, but I need to talk to you. Call me when you get back from Joe's house.'

'Message received at 9:32 am,' the lady on the machine announces.

Please don't let the second message be from Tai. Please, please, please.

'Sora, it's Tai again.'

Shit.

'I guess you're still not home. Either that or you're ignoring my calls. Please don't do that. I want to talk to you. Please call me, Sora.'

'Message received at 10:56 am,' the annoying tinny voice cries.

If the next message is Tai again, I am going to scream. I want to turn off the machine, but I can't bring myself to move.

'Sora, it's me.'

Double shit.

'You have to be home by now. I know you're ignoring my calls. I miss you Sora; please talk to me. Call me. No, wait, you know what, I'm coming over. I'm going to come to your house. We'll talk then.'

'Message received at 11:37 am,' the arrogant, mechanical bitch announces.

I glance at the clock in terror. It's 11:40. Tai will be here any minute. Someone kill me, right now. I mean, I honestly wouldn't care if a meteor fell from space and landed directly on my house. Shit.

Someone knocks at the door and I consider ignoring them. It must be Tai. Who else would be knocking on my door this early in the morning? You know what, I will ignore the door. Hah, I guess I win.

"Sora, its Tai!" a disgustingly familiar male voice cries from the front hall. Damn it, I forgot to lock the door. I hate the world. I carefully put on my coldest, most aloof face, and wander out of the kitchen.

"Can I help you with something, Tai?"

"Oh good, you _are_ here. We need to talk."

"The way, I see it, there isn't really much to talk about," I say honestly.

"Yes there is!" Tai cries. "We're in a fight, and we need to figure this out."

"Can we do this some other time? I'm incredibly busy," I lie. Wow, straight from honesty to blatant lies. Impressive.

"Busy?" Tai says incredulously. "What are you busy with?"

"Oh, you know," I say vaguely. If I wasn't so hung over, I would be able to think of something witty.

"No, I don't. Now, can you tell me why you yelled at me yesterday, and refused to sleep in the same room as me, and stuff?"

I stare at him in disbelief. "You actually need me to _explain_ it to you?"

"Yes, otherwise I wouldn't have asked," he replies smartly. I fight the urge to slap him.

"Okay, Taichi, let's see shall we?"

His eyes widen when I say his name. I've never used his full name before – he realizes he's in trouble.

"The first and most obvious thing is that you didn't buy me an anniversary gift. You didn't even acknowledge the fact that it _was_ our anniversary yesterday. And even if you forgot in the morning or something, you still had time before Prom to…"

"You said you didn't want a gift!" Tai interrupts.

First mistake: interrupting.

"Excuse me?" I say coolly.

"Well…I mean, the thing is…"

Second mistake: inability to back up his arguments.

"Please Tai, continue."

"See, when we were at the jewelry store and you saw that necklace, you said that you didn't like big gifts and stuff. I just figured that meant you didn't want me to buy you anything."

Third mistake: stupid assumptions.

"So you just decided that you could not only neglect to buy me a gift, but you could act like out anniversary didn't exist? _And_ did you _not_ notice the very blatant hints that I gave you about the earrings in the window?"

"I…uh, wasn't really paying attention."

Fourth mistake: I really don't think I have to spell that one out for all of you.

"Lovely, Taichi, lovely."

"Sora, come on! Are we going to be in a huge fight over something this trivial?"

"This _isn't _trivial!" I cry. "You never show ant kind of emotion toward me, not on Valentine's Day, not at Christmas, and not on our anniversaries. Oh, and kissing does _not _count as an emotion. I'm so tied of being the only one that gives anything in this relationship. It feels like you don't even want to be with me! It's not about the presents, Taichi. It's about the fact that I fell in love with you, and you take that for granted. You treat me like you would any other girl, but I should be more than that for you. Maybe I just expected too much from you, and if that is the case, I am sorry. But, I can't me in such a loveless stagnant relationship anymore."

"Sora, this is insane."

Fifth mistake: not owning up to previous mistakes and no apology.

"Are you sorry?"

"What?"

"Are you sorry, Taichi?"

"For what?"

"For everything I just explained to you!"

"I…I don't…know."

"Tai, I can't tutor you through a relationship anymore. It's just ridiculous. I'm sorry, but, good-bye Taichi."

"Sora,"

I quickly pull the door open. "Good-bye Taichi."

He leaves quickly and silently, but only after giving me one final, heartbreaking glance. I shut the door firmly and sag against the cool wood.

Well, at least one positive thing came of this: I'm going to go to Queens university, no more doubts or questions.

Suddenly, realization hits me as painfully as a sledgehammer. I just broke up with Tai Kamiya. Oh my God.

…………………………………………………………………………………

Gato: Yes, I know it wasn't the happiest of chapters, but every romantic comedy story has its sad bits, right?

Irie: RIGHT!

Gato: Holy cracker barrels! You're alive again!

Irie: That's right, I've resurrected!

Gato: My God. No wonder I've been able to write so much in one sitting lately. How did you die?

Irie: Well, after you punished me…_he_ appeared, and things went down hill from there.

Gato: _He_ appeared? But how is that even possible.

Irie: Who knows, schmo! Forget about it though, time fore reviewer response.

TO digimon-Taiora: Oh yes, drunkenness is usually bad. Especially when being manipulated by me, mwahaha. Thanks for the review.

TO Steve-Racer: I'm glad that green is your favourite colour and you weren't too upset about Irie. Oh yes, silly drunk Tai. Don't worry though, things will work out…maybe. ;) Thanks for reviewing!

TO Mew Yukari: I agree entirely. Studying is possibly the most tedious activity created. Horrible, really. I'm glad that you like the story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for the kind review.

TO MegumiFire: Hope I didn't keep you waiting too long! Here's the next chapter!

Gato: And that's all for now, babies. I'm focusing all my efforts on this story, so I hope to have it done soon so that I can continue on to my others. People who read my other fics are starting to get a wee bit impatient. Teehee….whoops. I will update this story as soon as possible. It will only have about two more chapters.

Irie: Review please, or I will feed you to…_him_.


	8. Consequences of One\'s Actions

Gato: Next chapter. I'm not sure how long this one will be. It was originally going to be the final chapter, but we shall see.

Irie: That we shall. Time for the disclaimer?

Gato: Yes.

Irie: She will own Digimon the day the sky turns purple with like green stripes.

………………………………………

I continue to support my entire weight against the door as the conversation replays in my mind. I meant everything I said to him, but he didn't play the part I expected. I assumed he would apologize, and we would talk. I assumed everything would work out perfectly. Stupid assumptions. I can't believe I was such a moron.

But, then, I suppose that this is what was meant to occur. I've always believed that things happen for a reason. It makes it easier to shift the blame away from myself for a while. My head – excessively heavy from emotional exhaustion – collapses forward onto my knees. My eyes remain dry as I think about the past twenty four hours. For once, I don't despise the world, or myself, or mankind. Maybe this truly was meant to happen.

It's in this position and with these thoughts that I finally get the sleep I needed.

…

My mother's abrupt arrival awakes me from my slumber. Let's think about the sequence of events, shall we? I fell asleep leaning against the front door. When my mother walked in, she (obviously) opened the front door. The door pushed me forward, onto my face while my mother walked in and merely stared at me in disbelief.

"I don't know why I even bothered getting you a bed, Sora. You rarely seem to sleep in it," she jokes.

"Very funny," I mutter, clumsily standing back up.

"How was the Prom?"

"It was…" I start to say 'good' but we all know that's a horrible lie. "It was less than magical. I broke up with Tai."

My mother drops her purse onto the floor.

"Oh, Sora! I'm so sorry, sweetie. What happened? Do you want to talk about it? Are you alright?"

"Surprisingly, I think I am alright. Either that or I'm in shock."

"Come into the kitchen, and I'll make you some tea. Are you hungry, Sora?"

My mother gently leads me to the table and fills the kettle. She places a generous slice of peach pie on a plate and shoves it toward me. God, I love my mother. I slowly nibble at the pie, rejoicing for the lack of nausea in my body. After I've poked through half of the pie, I manage to tell my mother what happened (excluding the drinking, of course). When I finish my tale, I've also downed two mugs of tea.

"Sora, honey, I'm sorry. I can see where you were coming from," (Oh man, there's going to be a 'but' in this sentence. I can feel it) "but, you should also try and see things from Tai's perspective."

"Whose side are you on, Mom?" I ask moodily.

"I'm not picking a side, Sora. That isn't my job."

"Isn't it your job to tell me that I'm right?" I demand weakly. That was possibly the stupidest question ever to come from my mouth.

"It's my job to be you mother, Sora, and that means telling you my honest opinion about your actions."

"And what is your honest opinion in this case?" I ask dejectedly. I hate it when she's right.

"That you didn't give Tai a fair chance. You just lashed out at him for things that had been bothering you all throughout your relationship. You should have brought these things up as you realized them, not all at once. That does not mean," she continues quickly, interrupting me nearly formed angry comment, "that I agree with what Tai did. In fact, I'm rather appalled at his behaviour. I think that you both needed to talk about your relationship, not merely break it off."

I stare at my mother in disbelief. She just made me realize that I am a complete moron (which I'm sure all of you have realized by now). She also made me doubt my decision to dump Tai. No, I can't doubt this decision. I did what was right for me, and now I'm going to Queens and that is that.

"Either way," I say slowly, "I've decided that I'm going to Queens for university."

My mother blinks, no expression on her face. "You're sure?"

"Yes. It's what is right for me. I mean, Queens is a great school, and I worked so hard to get there. Not to mention, it will give me new opportunities for…stuff."

"Like relationships?"

Damn her.

"Can you knock before you enter my brain?" I ask quietly.

My mother grins. "I'll get right on that. Hey, now that you've decided, we have a lot of stuff to do. We have tons to buy and…oh, and I need to talk to you about something. You know Aunt Vivian?"

"Of course mom, we were at her wedding just last year. I still think it's strange that she's a model and has married a professional chef. I mean, models are constantly on diets and this guy is always going to be cooking stuff that…"

"Anyway," my mother interrupts my tangent, "her husband is Canadian, and they live in Ontario. I thought you could head out to their house for a couple of weeks right after graduation. That way you can see Queens and the province you where you will be living. If you don't like it, you have time to come back and change your mind."

I run this idea over in my mind. It works out perfectly, I get to go see my future school _and _I get away from Tai. Excellent.

"That's a great idea, Mom. But, is Aunt Vivian okay with that?"

"Oh yes, we talked about it as soon as you applied to Queens."

"How did you know I was going to get in?"

"I always have faith in you, honey."

I grin and glance at the clock, my eyes widening as I see the time. I have no idea what time my mother got home, but the clock reads 1:24 a.m. My mother follows my gaze and gasps.

"My goodness, look at the time. I think we both need to get some sleep. I'll be home from work around four tomorrow. We'll start shopping then, alright Sora?"

"That's perfect, Mom."

As my mom leaves, I suddenly realize that I have to inform people of my university decision. And, by people I mean Mimi and Joe. Crap, that's going to be less than fun. Especially considering the fact that Mimi and I were already planning out our two person dorm room. Double crap. Oh well, I'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be less than fun.

…

A ringing phone startles me out of my sleep. I attempt to reach for the phone, and manage to fall out of bed. The phone continues its banshee-like call. I pick myself up and grab the phone off its cradle.

"Hello?" I ask monotonously.

"Sora Takenouchi! What the hell is going on!" Mimi's shriek echoes through my room. I quickly move the phone away from my ear and wait for the screaming to end.

"Good morning to you too, Mimi. Did you sleep well?"

"Don't give me that!" she cries. "You know what, I'm coming over to your house. Bye."

Her last few words remind me so forcefully of Tai's message the previous day that I drop the phone. I stare at the object as it begins an incessant beeping. Slowly, I replace the phone and get dressed. See, I told you today was going to be less than fun. I quickly dress myself, and open the door before Mimi has a chance to knock.

"Good, you're up and dressed. Now, we need to talk."

"About what," I sigh. I was going to get a whole speech ready so that Mimi wouldn't freak out. I guess that idea took an un-harnessed leap off a bridge.

"About what!" she shrieks. "What do you…"

"Okay, Mimi, I realize that you are trying to be helpful _and_ that you are very shocked, but everyone within a five mile radius does _not_ need to hear this. Not to mention, I would like to make it to age twenty with my hearing ability in tact. So, please lower the decibels."

Mimi takes a slow breath and begins again. "You broke up with Tai."

It is more of a statement than a question. I nod in reply.

"Why?"

"I just couldn't be with him anymore. Yesterday, when I got home and everything, I was thinking about everything that bothered me in out relationship. The bad things outweighed the good, so what was the point of being in a relationship? I fell in love with Tai once, and he didn't return my affection. There were many times when I wondered if he even cared. It just seemed so stupid to be in such a…stagnant relationship. We weren't going anywhere, so what was the point of continuing. Besides, I was in love with him, and to him, I was just there."

"You _were_ in love with him? You don't love him anymore?" Mimi asks, staring at me intensely.

I force myself to return her gaze. "No, I don't love him anymore. Yesterday, I fell out of love with Taichi."

"Are you sure?"

I slowly lower myself onto a sofa and think about everything – about our whole relationship. The dance at the beginning of the year and his kind words, slowly becoming less frequent and sincere. His sense of humour and laid back attitude which didn't make up for his lack of romance. The day I realized that I was in love with him, only to be quickly and harshly disillusioned.

"Yes," I whisper, "I'm sure."

Mimi hugs me silently while I try to gather the courage to tell her my next point. This one is going to be harder than defending my breakup with Tai.

"Mimi, I have to tell you something else."

"I have to tell you something too, Sora." Mimi's voice shakes. I quickly pull back and notice tears on Mimi's face.

"Mimi, what's the matter?" I stare at my friend in shock. I've never seen Mimi look so scared.

"Sora, I think I'm…I think I might be…pregnant."

"What?" I breathe. "But you and Joe…when did the two of you…you know?"

"I wasn't planning on it at all," she wails, "otherwise I would have been on the pill. The problem is that I'm two weeks late and…well, it's been almost two weeks since Kristen's pool party."

"What does the pool party have to do with anything? I remember getting an invitation to that party. I couldn't go because I had soccer practice."

"I know." Mimi sniffs and wipes at her tears with shaking hands. "They were serving drinks at the party, and I got plastered. I think it was a combination of the heat, hunger and the drinks. Anyway, I don't remember a lot about that night. What I do know is that I woke up next to Joe the next morning…and most of my clothes were gone."

"Define most."

She does and I inhale sharply. God, and I thought I had problems.

"What am I going to do?" Mimi asks helplessly.

"Wait a second, Joe is a good guy. He wouldn't take advantage of you because you were drunk."

"He had a good amount to drink too. He didn't say anything the next morning, and I didn't ask, so I have no idea if anything happened. I'm too scared to ask now."

I close my eyes and say softly, "Mimi, this is what we're going to do. We're going to buy a pregnancy test at the pharmacy and you're going to take it. If it's positive, you have to tell Joe. If it's negative, then everything is fine, right?"

Mimi nods and forcefully wipes away the last of her tears. She flashes her bright smile to cover the intense fear she feels. I give her another hug and we head out for the drug store.

…

An hour later, I wait outside my washroom door for the results. It took Mimi ages to buy the test because a few people from our school were at the store. We actually left and came back later.

_Please let the test be negative_, I wish for the umpteenth time. I have no idea what Mimi is feeling right now, nor do I know what I would do in her position.

The door slowly opens and Mimi exits. I grab her by the shoulders and force her to look at me.

"Well?"

"It's negative," she says in a relieved voice.

"Thank god!" I cry and wrap her in a hug.

"I have not been that scared in my entire life," Mimi says, her voice muffled against my clothes. "What would I do without you, Sora?"

Oh shit, I really do have to tell her, don't I? God damn.

"Mimi, there's something I have to tell you."

"What's wrong, Sora?"

"I…I'm going to Queens."

Mimi's smile never falters as she cries, "That's great, Sora! You're going to have so much fun, not to mention it's an incredible school."

"You don't have to pretend to be happy for me, Meems," I say dejectedly.

"I'm not pretending, Sora. I really am going to miss you, but what type of friend would I be if I held you back? Queens is an amazing school, and it's what you want."

Finally, the tears from the past two days escape, and quickly soak my face. Through my watery vision, I can see that Mimi is crying as well. My past sixteen years as Mimi's friend quickly flash through my mind and I manage to smile.

"We'll still be friends, right Meems?"

"Of course we will," she chokes. "You think we're going to stop talking just because there's an ocean separating us? You and I will be friends forever. No amount of distance will ever change that."

"Good," I say. "My mom and I are going shopping later. What to come?"

"Sure," Mimi grins, always happy to go shopping. "And we can look at clothes for graduation."

"Oh crap, I totally forgot that we need nice clothes for that. Can you believe we graduate in three days?"

"And then I never have to take another science course again!" Mimi cries happily and I giggle.

My mother opens the door and greets us cheerfully. "Hello Sora. Mimi, lovely to see you. Are you going shopping with us?"

"That I am, Ms. Takenouchi. Can you believe Sora got into Queens?"

"It's very impressive, isn't it? Would you girls like something to eat before we head out? I have some leftover lasagna in the fridge."

I suddenly realize that I haven't eaten yet.

"I'm starving," I say.

"Me too," Mimi seconds.

"Alright, come and sit down."

My mother scoops generous helpings of the aromatic food onto our dishes and we slowly eat, reminiscing about the past decade and a half. Stories range from the time I shoved a crayon up my nose to the day Mimi made her catwalk debut. It seems that all of Mimi's are less embarrassing that mine. Strange how that works.

…

The three of us wander through the mall weighed down by bags filled with school supplies and of course, clothes and shoes. Mimi insisted that we go into every store, and strangely enough, something weird has happened to us in every bit of the mall.

"Remember when you yelled at the saleslady in this store? I thought she was going to cry," I say to Mimi.

"Ach, she was useless. What good is a dress saleslady that can't tell the difference between lilac and mauve?"

My mother laughs softly and takes a dark green skirt off a rack.

"How about this for your graduation outfit, Sora?"

I study the skirt. I flows in ruffles past my knee, and I could pair it with something white or black.

"Oh, Sora, you'd look gorgeous in that."

"What's the point of buying something new for grad? It's just going to be covered by the robe."

Mimi sighs, "For the tenth time, Sora, the outfit is for the party after grad."

"Just go try it on, Sora," my mother insists and shoves the skirt, a sparkly white top and me into a dressing room. "Now, let's find something for you, Mimi. I think something pink would look lovely on you."

"Were you every a fashion designer, Ms. Takenouchi?" I hear Mimi ask as I slip on the skirt.

"Why do you ask, Mimi?" I hear my mother flip through some racks. She was a fashion designer, but had to give it up when my dad left us. It's always been a touchy subject for my mother. I change quickly in an attempt to leave the change room and stop Mimi's questions.

"You're excellent a picking out clothing. It's very impressive," Mimi says.

"Thank-you Mimi. Yes, I was a fashion designer at one point, but I had to give it up for something more stable."

"I see," Mimi muses. "Well, it's great that you can apply your talent to Sora's wardrobe. God knows she needs the help."

"I can head you!" I cry from the stall.

Mimi laughs loudly. "I was just kidding, Sora."

"Try this dress on, Mimi. It will work well with your complexion."

"It's stunning, Mrs. T. Thanks. Sora, hurry up and finish changing, I want to see you before I try on this dress."

"I'm coming," I call and step out of the change room, looking in the mirror. Wow, my mom really is good at picking out clothes.

"You look so pretty, Sora!" Mimi cries.

"Thanks," I say. "Amazing choices, Mom."

"It's easy when you have pretty girls to work with," she replies, half joking. "Now, Mimi you try that on. I want to have you home before your mother starts worrying about you. It's a school day tomorrow you know."

"Don't remind me," I groan.

…

Sure enough, Monday arrives and I meet Mimi at the doors of the school.

"Another day," she sighs.

"Hey, don't forget that we graduate on Thursday night. These next few days will be dedicated to yearbooks, good-byes and pranks."

"You've got a point," Mimi says slowly. "I'm really looking forward to the pranks. I hope someone really goes all out."

"So do I. I want them to do something to shock the entire school."

Someone laughs coldly as they shove pasts us. I don't even need to see the face the recognize Andrea.

"You what will the best thing about graduation?" I ask.

"No more Andrea," Mimi replies.

"Exactly." I laugh and open the doors to the school. My laugh dies immediately and Mimi drops her textbooks. Plastered all over the walls and lockers are posters with a picture of Mimi picking up a pregnancy test at the pharmacy. The words, 'Mimi Takawatchi, knocked-up' assail my vision.

"Shocked?" Andrea asks smugly.

Without taking even a millisecond to think, I launch myself at Andrea and tackle her to the ground. A pair of strong arms haul me off the bitch before I can land a punch. There's something too familiar about these arms.

"Let go of me, Tai."

He ignores me and picks up Mimi with one hand. He forcefully leads us into a stairwell while the majority of the school watches. To my surprise, I head people cursing at Andrea. I turn back to see her pale, drawn face as her classmates turn against her. I smirk at her predicament. That stupid slut deserves everything being said. Ha, that's what she receives for being a…

My smug thoughts are interrupted by the sudden recognition of Joe sitting on the stairs. Oh shit. He slowly stands up and turns to his girlfriend.

"Well Mimi, it looks like we need to talk."

……………………………………………………………

Gato: Okay, the next chapter will be the last one, or so I think. As you all know, I never really plan out my stories ahead of time.

Irie: Because that's my job, and everyone knows that I'm as helpful as a purple gorpflan.

Gato: What the heck is a gorpflan?

Irie: I dunno…I made up the word.

Gato: Moving on…reviewer response…

TO DarkMetalAngel of Destruction: Wooo, that's a long name. I don't think Tai's going to be leaving Japan, but it looks like Sora is. Who know what will happen? Well, I do, but that's not the point. Thanks for the review!

TO digimon-Taiora: Well, I try and keep the story as possible. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

TO NeverMore88: Thanks! And, yes, you may ask. _He_ is a very big part of Irie's past, which is a very long and separate story. I think that someday I will write it and post it on fictionpress. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!

TO star: Oh, yes, he really is an idiot. Here's the next update. Enjoy!

TO Steve-racer: Wow, you seem to have some anger towards Tai's idiocy. Don't despair though! Everything will work out in the end! It's a romantic comedy, after all!

TO MegumiFire: Thanks so much. I'm really glad that you enjoyed the last chapter. I hoped you liked this one as well. Thanks again!

TO Mew Yukari: I've updated again. Thanks tons and tons! You're very sweet!

TO listen: No worries.

TO GTKari-123: Here's your update!

Gato: Well, I hope that you all enjoyed that. I'll work on the next on as soon as I can. After this story is done, I'm moving on to The Reprocutions of Pain, so if you read that story as well…I'll update it soon.

Irie: REVIEW!


	9. Love, Simple and Pure

Things seem to move in slow motion as I look around the small group. My eyes move from the shocked expression on Mimi's face to Joe's frighteningly somber look. I let my gaze run this course several times before I finally look at Tai. He also surveys the situation with a terribly sexy…er, I mean, annoying…serious face. Crap, this is not going to end well. I wonder if anyone else has noticed the tense silence hovering in the air. I literally feel that if I move, something will shatter.

Mimi attempts to form a word, but it results in a mere squeak. That sound startles everyone from their individual thoughts. Joe clears his throat says, "Would you like to start off this conversation, Mimi, or should I?"

"I…I don't…Andrea must have followed me to the drug store and…" Mimi trails off, her face pale.

"Why don't we talk about this privately?" Joe asks, sending a look in my direction. Oh, that was entirely unnecessary.

"I really doesn't matter, Joe, seeing as Mimi will tell me everything, and you'll probably tell Tai," I snap. I feel my lips being to curve into a smile at Joe's expression.

"Sora, why don't you and I go somewhere else and talk," Tai suggests.

"Because we have nothing to talk about," I reply curtly. Mimi still seems unable to form a sentence and continues to gape.

Joe shakes his head and turns his attention to his girlfriend. "When were you going to tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Mimi manages to choke. I wince; definitely not the right thing to say.

Joe inhales slowly and continues, "Tell me that you we're pregnant, and by another guy at that. Where you going to introduce me to your other boyfriend after graduation or just let me come to my own realizations once you started showing? I can't believe that you would keep this from me and just string me alo…"

"What are you talking about?" Mimi interrupts, finally regaining her speech. I have to say, I'm having a pretty hard time following Joe. What other guy? I glance at Tai briefly, but he remains expressionless.

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid, Mimi. I _am_ aware of how babies are made."

"Joe," she begins slowly, "there is no other guy. I'm not cheating on you!"

"Then how the hell are you pregnant! We've never," he suddenly lowers his voice, "you know…done it."

"I'm not pregnant!" Mimi returns loudly.

"What?" Joe demands, obviously baffled. He studies Mimi's face, searching for a falter in her serious expression. I will bet a million dollars that Mimi's next sentence will have something to do with Joe believing Andrea and jumping to conclusion.

"I'm not pregnant," she repeats slowly. Suddenly she shouts, "I don't believe you! You jumped to conclusions due to Andrea's posters! You believed those stupid pieces of paper without even consulting me! Don't you trust me at all?"

I win a million dollars.

"I…I…" Joe now seems to suffer from an inability to speak cohesively. It must be catching.

"Say something," Mimi demands calmly. This is definitely not a good week for relationships. I wonder if anyone else is having this much trouble.

"But then how did Andrea get those pictures of you? You did admit to being at the drug store!"

"I thought I might have been pregnant, Joe. I'm late…very late, and after Kristen's pool party…well, I just thought I should check, so I bought a test. It came back negative, which means I'm _not_ pregnant and _not_ cheating on you."

Joe remains silent for a moment, and finally murmurs, "Oh. I'm so sorry, Mimi. I was just so scared. I love you, and I thought I had lost you."

Mimi's face relaxes into its usual smile. "It has always been you, Joe. It always will be."

As the two continue their lovely make-up session, I slip out of the stairwell and toward my homeroom. I think I got out without Tai noticing.

"Sora!"

Never mind. Apparently, he notices everything, as long as it isn't relationship related.

"I'm going to be late, Taichi," I say thinly.

"No you aren't. The bell doesn't ring for another five minutes. Now, will you just stop and listen to me for a minute?"

"Alright," I say, turning to face my ex. "You have thirty seconds. Go."

"Okay." Tai exhales slowly and fixes his gaze on me. "Sora, this is insane! I miss you. You didn't even give me a chance to defend myself the other day, and I really want to. I realize that I screwed up, but you haven't exactly made this relationship perfect either."

"I beg your pardon?" I demand icily. He _really_ does not want to go down this path with me. Not today; not ever.

"I mean, I just figured that our relationship would be more involved."

"Involved? What the hell does that mean?"

"I mean that you would have put more effort into it. I was always the one calling you and arranging things…"

"That's bullshit!" I cry viciously. Several people in the hallway stop and watch. Tai seems oblivious, which is nothing new.

"Think about it, Sora!"

"I have, Taichi! I've thought about our relationship more in the past few days that you probably did in the entire nine months. I put just as much into our relationship if not more. Just in case you forgot, which you tend to do very often, _I_ was the one who bought _you_ an anniversary gift."

The crowd watching us has increased in size. I roll my eyes at the stupidity of human nature.

"Think about his for a second, Sora," he insists. "You are dumping me over a gift which you said you didn't want!"

"I never said that!" I shout. Our spectators begin to whisper loudly.

"It's still ridiculous that you are dumping me over a gift!"

"Tai," I say slowly, "I explained everything to you already, and I refuse to do it again. The simple thing is that I fell in love with you and it wasn't reciprocated. I was tired of giving unrequited love, so I decided not to do so. The end."

I turn abruptly and shove through several sophomores. Well, that lovely conversation lasted far longer than the thirty seconds I allotted. Damn Taichi.

…

The gossips hover around me for the rest of the day. Luckily, my public fight with Tai distracts everyone from Mimi's slight embarrassment. I met her by her locker before lunch and suggest we eat outside. She agrees and we head out into the soft sunlight.

"So, from that lovesick smile, I'm guessing you and Joe are back on good terms," I quip.

Mimi smiles dreamily and sighs, "That's putting it mildly. I think this fight is what we needed to realize how much we actually love each other."

"If I hadn't witnessed the fight, your comment would have sounded very strange."

She nods slowly, and I can tell she's contemplating something. It's probably about my non-existent relationship with Tai. Damn. I was hoping I could get through five minutes without someone reminding me about that ass.

"Maybe the same thing will happen for you and Tai," she suggests mildly.

I snort. How very lady-like.

"I sincerely doubt that, Mimi. It seems that Tai and I are over forever."

"You never know," Mimi muses. "Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah, like you passing Biology."

"I resent that."

"Look, don't worry about me and Tai. Things weren't meant to be between us, and it unfortunately took us nine months to figure that out."

"Are you sure? Are you completely sure things weren't meant to be? I mean, what if you're throwing away your true love over one fight?"

"Then my life sucks," I say bluntly.

"Sora…"

"I have no idea, Mimi," I sigh. "I wish I was certain that Tai and I aren't meant to be, but I'm not. I guess things will just have to take their course."

"That's not a very good approach."

"It's been working so far."

"Has it really?" Mimi demands.

"I like to think so."

"Well, we graduate soon, so you're going to have to be sure."

"I know," I sigh. "Speaking of which, don't we have a rehearsal or something tomorrow after school?"

"Yeah, and then a good-bye day on Wednesday, the real thing on Thursday…and then we're done!"

"Yeah, and then we're thrown out into the real world. Crazy, isn't it?"

…

The final bell rings and I carefully pick which books to take home today. I figure that if I slowly empty my incredibly cluttered locker, I should finish sometime before next July.

"Hello, Sora."

Oh for the love of…why can't he just leave me alone?

"Taichi."

"Sora, I know I was out of line today in the hallway, but what I said is true. I do miss you, and I think we should give us another try."

I sigh and slowly face his expressive brown eyes. My full backpack is less of a burden than the emotional pressure in my chest.

"Tai, its over, okay? I'm going to Queens University. I leave for Canada the day after graduation. I'm sorry, but it _is_ over."

The shock on his face brings bubbling guilt to the surface and I quickly step around him and out of the school. Damn it. Damn damn damn. This wasn't supposed to be so difficult.

…

This rehearsal is entirely insane. No one really cares to follow the instructions our homeroom teachers shout. I think we're suppose to stand in alphabetical order, but its difficult to hear anything over the incessant talking. Not that I'm really trying to listen. I listen to Andrew describe the details of the grad after party he plans to host.

"My parents are totally cool with everything, including the drinking. We've been decorating and planning for days. People can go swimming or just chill, and there's even karaoke."

"I can't believe your parents are okay with everything," Mimi says admiringly.

"I don't think they would be if it wasn't my grad," he says truthfully.

"Still, it's wicked that you're having this party, Andy," I call over the din.

"Yeah, and people are totally allowed to stay the night if they want," Andrew replies with a suggestive smirk.

I blink, not entirely sure that I heard him correctly. News about our break-up traveled pretty damn fast.

"Wanna repeat that, Andrew?" I suggest.

"I said that you are totally invited to say the night!" he calls, just as everyone else falls silent. Giggles echo in through the gym as Andrew hesitantly turns to face the front.

"That's very kind of you, Andrew," says Ms. Alvarez, "and I sincerely hope that you are extending that offer to everyone attending your party."

"Yes ma'am," he mutters soberly, his face the colour of a beet.

"Very nice. Now, I would like all of you in alphabetical order according to your last names. In order to make this much simpler for everyone involved, you teachers will read off the order. Start at the right side of the stage and work toward the left. Does everyone understand?"

A muttered 'yes' rolls through the crowd.

"Aberty, Brynne," a teacher calls. Oh, its going to be a long time before they get to me.

"Looks like Andrew has a bit of a crush on you," Mimi whispers.

"Yeah, and a pretty stupid way of flirting," I reply.

"Also looked like Tai wanted to strangle him," Mimi hisses through laughter.

"Really?" I glance at Tai who just stepped onto the stage. His expression remains neutral and I shrug.

"Did you want him to be jealous?" Mimi asks.

"I don't care how he feels." That was the stupidest lie I've ever told, and I'm pretty sure Mimi saw through the idiocy of my words.

"Of course you don't."

"Takawathi, Mimi," someone calls. Mimi glides onto the stage with a bored expression.

"Takenouchi, Sora," the same monotonous voice summons.

Score, I'm beside Mimi. At least I'll have someone to talk to during the long, boring ceremony on Thursday. On the subject of talking to people, Tai hasn't even said hello to me since yesterday afternoon. It doesn't matter, of course, I just thought you'd like to know.

…

I honestly don't see a point to coming to school today. I mean, all I'm going to do is pass around my yearbook and say farewell to people who have done nothing but discuss my love life. Fantastic. We don't even have school tomorrow because they figure we need an entire day to get ready for grad. I can't even be bothered to do anything super with my hair. I'm going to curl it and that's final. Even Mimi says she can't be bothered to make a hair appointment. She's leaving her hair in its natural waves. I wish my hair was naturally something, other than obnoxious that is.

"Sora, will you sign this?" someone asks, shoving a yearbook into my hands. I force my eyes to focus on the person before me. The first thing I notice is dark curly hair and tanned skin.

"Sure thing, Cat." I take the thick, glossy book and scribble a stupid note followed by my signature.

"Are you going to Andrew's tomorrow?"

"Yeah," I reply, handing back the book. "Isn't everyone?"

"I know that a couple of people can't come cause they're leaving for university early the next day. But, I think almost everyone is going. It should be a good party."

"Where are you going to school, Cat?"

"Spain."

I gape at the curvy Hispanic girl. I mean, I always knew she was Spanish, but I never expected her to up and go to Spain for university. She's been at school with Mimi and me for years. I can't believe she's going so far away. And she seems so confident.

"Wow, that's really far. What are you studying?"

"Cooking," she says nonchalantly. "There's a branch of Cordon Bleu in Spain, and it was easier to talk my parents to sending me somewhere that I have family."

"Aren't you scared?" The question leaves my mouth before I can even think about it. I may have known Cat forever, but we're not all that close.

She considers and slowly responds, "Yes. I'm leaving behind everything I've ever known and starting a completely new life. But, at the same time, I'm doing exactly what I want, and in the end, it's my life. I can't let fear of the unknown dictate my decisions."

"Did you read that in an inspirational book or something?" I demand bluntly.

Cat laughs softly. "It sounds corny, I know. But hey, it makes my feel better about leaving."

Leaving, huh? There seems to be a lot of that going around. Mimi got into Santher, and both she and Joe are heading there. I have no idea where Tai is going, mainly because he treats me like wallpaper. Disdainful wallpaper. And, I'm heading off the Queens University. In Canada. I wish I had an inspirational book or someone like Cat to talk me through the next couple days.

…

"Sora!" Mimi pulls me into a tight hug. I think my lungs just imploded.

"Can't…breathe…" I gasp.

"Don't exaggerate," Mimi commands, though she lessens her grip slightly. "We graduate tomorrow! Can you believe that?"

"No," comes my honest reply.

"We have to do something tonight. Let's go for dinner!"

"You aren't doing anything with Joe?" I query.

Mimi releases me and snickers. "I'm going to see Joe basically every day for the next year. You are my best friend, and you're leaving for Canada in a matter of days. What do you think takes priority?"

"Judging by the bone crushing hug I just received, I'll say me."

"Damn right!" Mimi nods forcefully and shoves me weighted backpack into my arms. "Holy crap, Sora. What the hell is in here?"

"Everything that was once in my locker. Look." I pull open my locker and we both stare appreciatively into its rusty bareness.

"To be honest, I didn't think you were ever going to be able to empty that thing."

"Neither did I, Meems. Neither did I." I shoulder my two ton pack and for the last time, follow my best friend out of Bernerd-Holday High School.

…

"Okay, a little bit more hairspray, and you'll be done," my mother says. I hear the hiss of the aerosol can and feel the sticky vapour on my neck. My mother wordlessly hands me a mirror and I admire my new curls.

"They look great, Mom."

"Oh, Sora, I can't believe you're graduating," she says, tears evident in her voice. I feel my own eyes burn in response to her comment. I expected her to be emotional, but I never imagined that I would be upset as well. I force a yawn in an attempt to ward off any tears.

"Th-thanks for doing my hair mom." I manage to keep my voice relatively natural. "Could you help me with my make-up after I get dressed?"

"Oh course, honey," she chokes.

To avoid dissolving into tears with my mother, I slip out from the bathroom and carefully pull on my new forest green skirt and sparkly white top. I don't know why I'm so upset. This is what I wanted, isn't it? I slowly re-enter the bathroom, and thankfully, my mother has composed herself again.

"I ready for make-up. Just not too much, okay mom?"

"Would I ever put too much make-up on you, Sora?"

"No, you aren't Mimi after all."

My mom laughs and approaches me with foundation.

…

I slowly ease the black graduation gown over my perfect curls. I want my hair to look like this everyday. Too bad I'm far too lazy to spend more that ten minutes on my hair. My mother observes me with a smile.

"You look so grown up, Sora."

In contradiction to her words, I feel roughly seven years old. Something about this entire ceremony highlights my immaturity rather than progress I've made. Oh well.

"Sora, your hair looks so _pretty_!"

"Hi, Mimi," I greet before turning to see my raven haired friend. "So does yours, for the record."

She merely shrugs and flips a bit over her shoulder. Mrs. Takawatchi turns to my mother and the engage in a deep conversation. I'm pretty sure I can hear the word 'little girl' and 'crying'. Great. Well, at least they aren't taking pictures.

"Sora, Mimi, get together for a picture!" Mrs. Takawatchi commands.

Damn it. I just had to think it, didn't I?

Ten pictures and excessive amounts of flash later, Mimi and I stumble onto the stage and take our seats. Ms. Alvarez takes her place at the podium and instant silence sweeps over the room. Huh, apparently she can intimidate parents _and_ students. That's quite a skill.

"Good evening and welcome to the graduation of the class of 2005! I would like to personally thank all of you for coming and sharing in this special night. I had the privilege of speaking with some of the family members, and I know that some of you came from very far. Once again, I thank you. I know that for all of you, whether you sit on the stage or watch, this is an incredibly emotional night. This evening marks the end of an era, and the beginning of a journey into the 'real world.' I do not doubt that each of these students before you will achieve incredible heights. They will go farther and break more boundaries than any class before them. They truly formed a family, and this night marks the severing of those intensely close ties. I just hope that you all remember one thing, my dear grads. No matter how far you go or how famous you become, the friends you made these past years will indeed be your family. Never fear to come home to them, to laugh, cry, and reminisce with them. By handing you these diplomas, I give you a more than an important piece of paper. I give you memories, and I give you future. This is your time, the beginning of your lives. May nothing hinder you in your pursuit for happiness. And, may you always find joy and solace in you fellow classmates. From all of the staff to you, congratulations."

Mimi hiccoughs beside me, and I can feel hot tears trickling down my cheeks. Thank god I let Mom put waterproof mascara on me. I hastily wipe my eyes as Ms. Alvarez begins calling names. I think even she got a bit choked up, and that says something. Mimi leans her head on my shoulder as she attempts to stem her tears.

"What Alvarez said is true, Meems. We are like family," I whisper.

"Friends forever," Mimi chokes.

"Taichi Kamiya," Ms. Alvarez summons.

I feel a sob form in my throat as my ex-boyfriend strides proudly to accept his diploma. I can't even cheer for him, right? I mean, that would look so stupid. I stare at my hands (which are slowly moving to start a clap despite my command to remain still) until Tai returns to his seat.

"Joe Kido."

Mimi screeches loudly for her boyfriend, and I add a small cat call to the fray. Well, at least I can cheer for someone.

The names continue down the line, each person receiving their portion of cheers and blinding flash photography. I cheer wildly for Cat, who, if possible, is looking even more Spanish than usual. She blows a kiss into the audience as her way back to her seat. Despite my sorrow, I laugh at the crowd's reaction.

"Mimi Takawatchi."

I screech, catcall and applaud loudly as my best friend accepts her diploma, smiles broadly at her parents and returns. She hugs me quickly, and I hear, "Sora Takenouchi."

I manage to stumble over a chair on my way to the podium, much to the enjoyment of the audience. I take my diploma and receive a firm handshake from Ms. Alvarez. Before returning to my seat, I pause and switch my tassel to the other side of my hat. My mother applauds loudly.

Luckily, I'm close to the end of the alphabet, so I don't have to wait long before we finish. In what honestly feels like seconds, Ms. Alvarez calls, "Ladies and gentlemen, the class of 2005!"

I stand with the rest of the class and toss my hat into the air. Hundreds of flashbulbs go off as I throw my arms around Mimi, Joe, Cat, and Mimi again. The hats fall to the ground and we leave the hall, forever closing the doors to high school.

…

A couple hours later, Mimi and I wander into Andrew's party. It looks like most of our class has arrived already. Black Eyed Peas blast from a large speaker and my classmates sway, gyrate and grind to the rhythm. I notice Tai near the edge of the dance floor, and absently grab a shot of something green from a nearby table. I wince at the sharp taste and familiar burn in my throat then follow Mimi onto the dance floor. This is most definitely a good party. I notice Cat dancing with an attractive Italian boy. Good one, Cat.

A pair of hands grab my waist and spin me around sharply. I'm prepared for Tai, Matt, even Andrea, but responses die as I look into Andrew's vibrant green eyes.

"Uh…hi, Andrew," I manage.

"Hey Sora." He smirks, his hands still on my waist. "You look very pretty."

"Er…thanks Andrew. Great party."

Beside me, Mimi has dissolved into fits of hysterical laughter. Some help she is; remind me to find a friend who will do something other than laugh in these situations.

"Why don't we dance?" Andrew suggests.

"Well…" I begin, but am quickly interrupted my Andrew pulling me closer. I scan the room, and notice (beside Mimi's hysterics) Tai dancing with someone. If he can have fun, so can I. I grin tersely and allow myself to succumb to the pulsing rhythm while still monitoring where Andrew's hands are roving. Mimi's found Joe, and the two are wrapped around each other several inches away. Looks like everyone is having fun. I'm so glad that I got to go to one more party with my class. Even dancing with Andrew has been good.

After several songs, someone switches the music from DJ to Karaoke. I pull away from Andrew.

"Thanks for the dances, Andrew," I say, a large grin on my face.

"Anytime, Sora. Thank-you."

I carefully work my way over to the refreshment tables while two very drunk girls butcher 'I Love Rock and Roll'.

The food spread over the white clothed tables ranges from pizza bagels to sushi. I notice a pie in one corner and my mouth twitches as I recall the dance in September. I fight the temptation to overturn a pie on Tai's head by grabbing a handful of chips.

The song echoing through the room becomes slow and very familiar. I chew a chip slowly and nearly choke on it when I see Tai take the microphone. As the instrumental continues, he says deeply, "This song is dedicated to one specific girl. I sincerely hope that she knows who she is. I've never been very good at expressing my emotions, but I hope that someone else's words will help me along."

I (and everyone else in the room) finally recognize the song as 'Have I Told you Lately that I Love You' by Rod Stewart. My chips fall to the floor, a forgotten, crumbled mess. Most of the class is staring between Tai and me as his strong, beautiful voice carries the lyrics throughout the room. Once people realize that I'm not going to run up to the stage and pounce on Tai, the split into couples and dance.

I try several times to leave the room, but Tai has literally pinned me with his voice and his gaze. You know, I always did tell him that he has an amazing voice. Despite my minds constant commands to run, I slowly walk toward the stage. Couples move aside as I continue my approach. The song slowly ends, and I meet Tai's gaze for an eternity. Or, possibly, a fraction of a second. I really couldn't tell you which. My brain suddenly regains control over my body and I dart from the room as five or six girls attempt to recreate a Spice Girls song.

On the patio, fairy lights sparkle through the trees and cast a magical glow on the frosted glass tables and chairs. I assume they're here incase people are bored of dancing and such. Judging by the show Tai and I just gave inside though, I doubt too many people will be outside anytime soon. The jerks are probably waiting for and encore.

Damn it. Damn it. _Damn it._ Why the hell did he have to do that now? Why couldn't he have dedicated a beautiful song to me a couple of weeks ago? Why now, now that I'm leaving for Canada?

"Sora!" Mimi cries, running out onto the glittering patio. "Are you alright?"

"Why did he do it, Mimi?" I demand softly.

"He loves you, Sora," she says gently.

"But why did he have to take so long to realize it? Now I'm leaving, but he loves me." My voice cracks and I sink into a chair.

"Oh, Sora. If love was easy, people wouldn't write songs, books and poems about it. If love was easy, it wouldn't be love."

"What am I supposed to do now?" I ask.

"Are you willing to change all of your plans?" Mimi questions bluntly. I laugh at her ability to be realistic in all situations.

"No," I say slowly and doubtfully.

"Then just ignore the song and him. Don't let it ruin your last night with everyone. Come on, let's see if we can convince someone to pie Andrea."

"Why do we need to convince someone?" I ask with a grin. "I'll do it willingly."

"Oh, I know that," Mimi agrees, "but I think it would be funnier to get some drunk jock to do it."

"Oh, good plan."

I take Mimi's arm and we saunter back into the party, our cruel plan revolving in our minds.

"Hey, what about Matt?" Mimi suggests.

"Matt? Are you joking?" I say.

"No. He's pissed drunk. I mean, just look, he's singing Backstreet Boys on the karaoke machine."

"I don't have to look," I say, shuddering. "I can hear him just fine."

"So, Matt?"

"Oh yes," I reply with a devilish grin.

We wait by the refreshment area for Matt to finish his…interesting rendition of 'Backstreet's Back.' He wanders over and leers at Mimi and me. I take my cure from his disgusting expression.

"No way, Mimi," I begin loudly. "Matt's way too much of a chicken. I don't believe he could ever do that."

"He's not _that_ big of a chicken," Mimi retaliates. "Maybe if we just ask him…"

"Oh please," I interrupt. "He'll never say yes. He's too scared."

"I am _not_!" Matt shouts. Mimi and I exchange smirks.

"Told you so, Sora," Mimi drawls.

"I'll believe it when I see it. I still don't think he's brave enough to pie Andrea."

Matt snorts loudly and picks up the nearest pie. "I'll show you, wench," he slurs. Mimi and I giggle as he disappears into the crowd. Several seconds later, a familiar shriek resounds through the large room. Mimi and I bolt to the other side of the room, failing in our attempts to stifle hysterical laughter. Andrea storms out of the room smeared in peaches and bits of crust. Oh man, that made my night perfect.

…

Oh crap. I have to leave for the airport in five minutes and I am nowhere near ready. As my mother watches disapprovingly, I shove several toiletries into a bag and fling clothes into another.

"Ready!" I call.

"Are you going to be able to find anything when you get to Canada?" my mom asks mildly.

"Of course I will. Its…organized chaos. I know where everything is," I lie blatantly.

"Of course it is, Sora," my mother responds. "And I'm a professional model."

"You sarcasm is not appreciated. Kind words of wisdom would be much better."

"Sorry darling," she says with a smile. "Now let's go. You have a plane to catch."

I pick up my bags and follow my mother to the car. She actually took the day off work to see me off at the airport. Have I mention that I love my mother?

The car ride remains relatively silent aside from the soothing noise from the radio. A startlingly familiar love song seeps out from the speakers, and I freeze. Memories, feelings and disgust course through my body as I sag back into the seat. I don't think I can do this…

"Sora, are you alright?" My mother queries. "You know, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

Damn her ability to read my mind. I'd better lie, otherwise she'll think she's always right.

"Looks like your mind-reading skills are wearing off Mom," I joke. "I just don't like this song, that's all."

"Of course you don't, honey."

Argh, I think her lying agreement is worse than the sarcasm.

My mother carefully parks the car, a smug smile on her face. I determinedly lug my heavy bags to the check in counter and present my ticket and passport to a smiling attendant. What the hell is she smiling about? I mean, it's like eight o'clock in the morning. What on earth is there to be so incredibly happy about?

I strain to lift my bag onto the scale. This is way worse than when I had to empty my locker. The attendant looks at the weight on the digital readout and turns to me, her smile in place.

"I'm afraid your bag is_ too_ heavy, miss."

I stare at the attendant, an icy glare in my eyes. Okay, she is evidently mocking me. I mean, she's grinning as if I just won the lottery, and in reality my damn bag is too heavy. What the hell is her problem? There is _nothing_ to smile about.

My mother sense that I'm on the verge of ripping the woman's smiling mouth off and intervenes. "What exactly does that mean?"

"Well," the woman begins in a syrups voice, "it _obviously_ means that you will either have to leave the bag here, or pay the extra fee."

There is nothing happy about this, you sadistic bitch. My hand tightens over the strap of my backpack. Now what am I supposed to do?

"Sora," my mother whispers, "calm down, honey. Leave the bag here, and I'll send you everything by FedEx. Don't worry about it."

I nod and mutter, "I just don't see what she's so happy. Obviously she enjoys seeing people suffer."

"What have _you_ decided," she asks, addressing my mother.

"We've decided," I say firmly, "to leave the bag here. I'll just take my backpack."

"As long as that's what you want," she replies perkily and hands me my ticket. "You're in seat 5A."

"Thank you," I murmur insincerely and stalk toward the security check. My mother follows, shaking with silent mirth.

"Oh, Sora, I guess we all know not to cross you."

"It isn't funny, Mom," I insist, though I'm fighting back laughter. We arrive at the entrance to the security check and I turn to face my mother.

"Before you go, Sora, I just wanted to give you this. It came this morning." She presses a small envelope into my hand. "Don't open it just yet. And, when you do open it, follow your heart."

I stare at the envelope for a second, then wrap my arms around my mother. "I love you Mom. I'll call you as soon as I get to Aunt Viv's place."

"I'll see you in a few weeks, Sora. I hope you have a great time, honey."

"Thanks, Mom." Before my tears have time to begin, I place the envelope in my pocket and stride through the security check. Once the airport officials have decided that I'm not trying to kill anyone with my hairbrush and CD player, I wave to my mother one final time.

I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.

As soon as I sink into a seat in the waiting area, the envelope presses into my leg. Curious, I slid my finger under the ivory flap and extract a note and a silver ring. Holding my breath, I slowly unfold the note. Holy shit, its from Tai.

_Dear Sora,_

_I know you'll probably hate me for this, but I couldn't let you go without telling you once more. I love you, Sora. I know that you loved me at one time, and I'm so sorry that I couldn't realize it at the time. But, the truth is, I've always loved you. Since the first day I saw you at Kari's party, I've loved you. It's cliché and stupid, I know, but its also true. I never did deserve you, and I could never understand how I got so lucky. Why did you bless me with you beauty, wit and love? I was clearly unworthy. I know that it's late, and I would never ask you to change you life plans for me – especially now that we're separated. However, I couldn't let you go thinking that I didn't love you. I meant every word of that song, Sora. I love you. I will miss you. I hope that you will take the ring with you as a reminder of the time we spent together. I hope that in the future, you find someone more deserving you your perfection. I was lucky merely to be touched by it._

_Love,_

_Tai_

Tears fall in a steady stream down my face. I shakily pick up the ring and admire the small crystal mounted in the centre. Stupid Tai.

There's no way I can leave now. Stupid moronic beautiful boy. I slip the ring onto my finger, shoulder my backpack and run toward the exit of the airport.

…

Half an hour later (though, it actually felt like thirty years – I thought cab drivers were supposed to go quickly) we pull up in front of Tai's apartment.

"That'll be twenty dollars and…"

"Here, just keep the change," I say quickly, shoving thirty dollars at the surprised man. He happily pockets the money and I dash up to Tai's door. My god, how cliché is this? My hand trembles to forcefully, I can barely push the doorbell.

Wow, I would look so ridiculous if Kari or his Mrs. Kamiya opened the door. Hopefully, Tai is home. I really didn't think this whole 'running back to my beloved' thing through.

The door opens, and a familiar flash of brown hair appears in the doorway.

"Sor…"

I launch myself at Tai and press my lips into his. It takes several seconds for him to recover from the shock and return the kiss. I don't ever want to let him go. Finally, we separate and he stands there, gawking. Very romantic. Silly boy.

"What…what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean what am I doing here?" I cry, slightly hysterically. I hold up my hand and display the ring. "You can't tell me you love me and still expect me to leave. Especially not when I'm still in love with you."

"You…you are?" he stutters.

"I don't think I ever fell out of love with you, to be entirely honest," I say quietly. "And I don't ever want to leave you."

"But, what about Queens and Canada and…" I put my finger to his lips.

"Tai, the only reason I accepted Queens was because I was angry at you. It was stupid, I know, but that's me. I still have time to accept Santher, and that's what I truly want to do. It's just as good of a school and…" I cut myself off mid-ramble. "The point is, Tai, that I'm staying here for university. Everyone told me to follow my heart, and that's what I'm going to do. I love you, and this is exactly where I want to be."

He envelops me in his arms once more and whispers, "I'm going to Santher, too."

I hold him tighter as he kicks the front door closed. Seconds later, we collapse on the couch, tangled in one another's arms. So this is what it feels like to be in love. I can't even explain everything that I feel. It's just perfection.

…

It has been two weeks since I made my rash decision to go to Santher. My mother, in her obnoxious way, seemed to know I would do so, and had purchased cancellation insurance. She still enjoys rubbing that in my face. Anut Vivian merely laughed when I called her to explain why I wasn't coming to Canada. Damn her and my mother knowing everything.

"Pass the chips," Mimi calls lazily. We're sitting around Tai's apartment watching some stupid action movie. I believe it's the same movie Tai was watching when I received the dare to flirt with him months ago. Who would have thought a simple dare would turn out so well.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Tai says, lifting his pop can into the air. We follow suit, each of us slightly confused. "This is a toast to love. Love between friends, family, and especially between couples. May our love never dwindle or fade. May we always have each other and may each moment be perfect." He tilts his can in my direction and I giggle. I think my own toast is in order.

"And I'd like to add to that," I say happily. "This is toast to out futures. May each of our individual paths take us where we wish to go. May the paths be challenging at times, so we appreciate the good things in life. And, may our paths always cross, no matter how far we roam or how high we climb. Finally, may our futures be filled with challenges and ease, fear and peace and most of all love."

The four of us bring our cans together, and sip, each lost in individual musings. Years from now, I hope to be even half as happy as I am this moment.

And, for you, I hope that you have love and happiness in your life. Maybe your life could be something like mine, and then you could write about your trials and tribulations. I mean, life isn't life without strife. After all, love is one hell of a complicated game.

………………………………

Gato: And, scene. I am exhausted, so I thank you all for you continued support throughout this long and tiring piece. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the final installment. This section of my writing is closed for a while, as I must attend to other stories. However, I want to thank each of you for your reviews, you patience and your endless support. I love you all (platonically, of course) and I write for you. May all of your writing endeavors go well and may you receive incredible support.

Fare the well, my darling readers and reviewers.


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